


a bright light in the darkness of it all

by spacemanearthgirl



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Friends to eventual lovers, Mutual Pining, SuperCorp, also sort of a coffee shop au, sort of arranged marriage au, they're both college aged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21627046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacemanearthgirl/pseuds/spacemanearthgirl
Summary: In order to take over Luthor Corp, Lena must first marry Mike Matthews, the son of another wealthy family. But then she meets Kara, and things get a little more complicated.Or Kara and Lena fall in love in a coffee shop, all the while knowing they can be nothing more than friends as Lena is getting married.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 421
Kudos: 1199
Collections: Gays in Earth 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea way back in season two, when Rhea was forcing Lena and Mon-El to marry and I decided to attempt nanowrimo last month and finally wrote the fic that's been on my mind for literal years.
> 
> I've written all of this so updates will be fairly regular and you won't be waiting months for me to write this, I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Just fyi, Mike hardly makes an appearance past the first couple of chapters, the whole idea for this fic was just me wanting to write Kara and Lena falling in love, with the obstacle of an arranged marriage in the mix (for the pining of course).

Lillian slaps Lena’s hand away as she brings it up to her hair. “Stop fidgeting, and leave your hair alone, you have to look perfect for when Mike arrives.”

Lena rolls her eyes, her mother has been fussing over her all day. “He’s not going to care what I look like, all he cares about is how much money I have in my back account.”

“Nonsense, now leave your hair alone and go put your dress on, he’ll be here soon. I have to go make sure everything’s ready for dinner.”

Lena sighs in relief once the door is closed behind her, her mother can be intense sometimes. She picks up the red dress that her mother has picked out for her. It’s new, something she wouldn’t usually wear but she knows she has no choice in the matter, has no choice with anything in her life so it seems.

The only thing she wants, the only thing she’s chosen for herself, is to run Luthor Corp. She has to bring it back, make it good again after what her brother did to it.

This is what she’s been prepared for since the Luthor’s adopted her. This is everything her father and brother (before Lex slipped away from her) have taught her and she’s not going to let that go if she has a chance to take over the company and set right what Lex has done.

And if she has to marry this Mike guy to do it, then so be it.

She admires the dress in the mirror and she must admit it looks good, not that it really matters because she was right with what she said before, Mike isn’t going to care about what she looks like, all he and his family care about is money and how this marriage will be beneficial to both their companies.

A knock at her door startles Lena and she has to blink away the tears she hadn’t realised were forming in her eyes. How has she lost control of her life so spectacularly? The company she wants, the rest, not so much.

“Yes?”

“Mike’s going to be here soon,” her mother calls through the door. “It’s time to come downstairs.”

Lena sighs, she may as well get this over with. Time to meet the man she’s going to have to spend the rest of her life with. She just hopes Lillian has picked well.

“Don’t you look lovely,” Lillian smiles when Lena opens the door, giving her an approving once over.

When Lena first realised she was going to have to marry if she wanted the company, she’d hoped that she could get her mother on her side, work out some way out of the arrangement, but there was nothing to be done, not if she wanted to take over Luthor Corp herself. 

She’s read the documents, more times than she can count, about what needs to happen if she’s to become CEO. There’s no way out that she can find, the documents clearly state that any woman who is CEO of the company must be married to be CEO. It’s stupid and antiquated and sexist and Lena knows Lionel and the board members who wrote the documents only put in the marriage part so that there’d always be a man charge even if a woman is CEO.

She tried getting the rule overturned, but the amount of money the board have to throw around meant she was blocked at every turn. The law is clear, she must be married to become CEO, it’s in her contract and she can’t change it.

So Lena has no choice. She’s twenty-one in two weeks, the day the wedding has been arranged for, and then two days later she needs to be in National City, ready to sign the papers stating she’s the new CEO. Her company needs her and unfortunately for her, she needs to marry Mike to gain control of said company.

(But despite what the sexist board members who wrote the original documents intended, she’s not going to let Mike anywhere near her company once she has it).

Lena’s stomach rolls again when they make it to the bottom of the stairs and the doorbell rings. This is it, there’s no way out now. Not that there was earlier but it’s suddenly all the more real, the person she’s going to have to marry is standing on the other side of the door and she hopes to any deity out there that she at least likes this guy.

She highly doubts she will.

The door swings open and there he is. Mike. Lena takes in the fancy suit, the way he holds himself tall and she can immediately tell he’s rich, but she knew that anyway. It’s the cocky smile on his face as he says hello that gets her though, makes her instantly dislike him.

“Mike Matthews.” He holds out his hand and Lena has no choice but to take it.

She pastes a fake smile on her face because if there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s hiding her true feelings.

“Lena Luthor. Nice to meet you.”

Her smile almost falters though when he lifts her hand, presses a kiss to the back of it. It takes a great lot of self control not to pull her hand away and she’s relieved when he drops it, giving her another smile that’s meant to be charming but is anything but.

Lillian leads them to the dining room where dinner will be while she makes small talk and Lena is happy to let her mother take the lead, she has no desire to talk to Mike at all. Of course once they’re seated, Lillian turns the conversation over to her and Lena is left having to talk to Mike. At least she can get to know him a bit, she supposes, she does have to spend the rest of her life with him.

“So, Mike, do you work for your family’s company?”

Mike lets out a short laugh. “No.”

She waits but he doesn’t elaborate. “So, what is it you do then?”

Mike winks at her. “My family is rich, I can do whatever I want.”

It takes considerable effort to keep her food down as Mike shoots her another ‘charming’ smile. What does that even mean? Does he not work at all, just lives off his family’s money doing whatever the hell he wants?

Lillian laughs along with him, like he’s told the funniest joke and Lena wonders if she’s been sucked into his charm that she’s sure people fall into all the time or if she’s just playing along like Lena is.

“What about you? What do you do? I’m sure with a family as rich as yours, you don’t have to do a lot either.”

“Actually I have a masters in biochemistry and a degree in engineering, I graduated last month.”

She’d been trying to decide whether to go back to college and study more or start work when all of this happened.

Most people know that about her, her family life isn’t exactly private, and most people are impressed by that, she graduated with her first degree when she was nineteen. But Mike doesn’t seem impressed at all. In fact, he laughs.

“Don’t worry, there’ll be no need for that once we’re married. You’ll never have to work again.”

Lena’s eyebrows raise, of course she’s going to work, that’s the whole point of getting married. And she’s going to tell him that. “Of course I’ll work, someone needs to run my family’s company.”

He waves her off, like it’s no big deal. “Don’t worry, we’ll hire someone for that, there’s no need to worry your pretty little head about it.”

Lena sees red. Did he really just say that? And there’s no way she’s going to let someone else run her company. She’s about to tell him just that, with a few extra words added, when Lillian cuts her off.

“That’s enough work talk for one night. So Mike, do you have any hobbies?”

Lillian gives her a look, one that clearly tells Lena she knows what she’s thinking and she better not say it, nothing can ruin this arrangement. But Lena’s not going to sit here and listen to how good Mike apparently is at snowboarding, not when all she can think about is her company and how she’s going to be damned if she lets him take the one thing that’s left of hers away from her.

She can’t follow in the path her degree was going to take her, she can’t choose who she has a relationship with, but she’s not going to let him take her company too.

“Excuse me,” Lena says, cutting off whatever story Mike is currently telling, she’d stopped listening. “I’m not feeling well, I have to go.” 

Lena drops the napkin from her lap onto the table, the chair scraping the floor as she stands. She knows her mother will have words with her later but right now she doesn’t care, she just needs to get out of there. All of this could be for nothing, she has to marry this guy and she may not even get to run the company.

She shuts her door behind her, or slams it is a better word, at least the house is so big they won’t be able to hear it from the dining room. She locks the door for good measure, sure her mother will come looking for her once Mike is gone.

She slumps backwards against the door, her breaths coming quickly as she tries to calm her mind. The dress suddenly feels too tight, she feels like she’s suffocating and tugs it from her body, tosses it across the room. But that doesn’t help, the panic still clawing at her chest. What if she gets married and it’s all for nothing? What if she can’t even take over her family’s company? Lena can feel her life, her choices, spiraling out of control and there’s nothing she can do about it.

Except she could run away, leave this place and never look back.

But she knows deep down she could never do that and it’s not a question of money. She’d be fine if she left, she knows she would. She’s smart, she has a degree, she’d be able to find a job somewhere and live her life happily away from her family and the control it has over her. She can’t do that though, can’t leave the company her father built, the one her brother nearly destroyed and the one she wants to bring back and show the world the Luthor name isn’t bad, that the company can be good instead. She wants to do good with the company, bring something good to the world after all the bad her family has done, help people with the wealth and resources she has instead of hurt them.

It’s not just the dress that is suffocating, but the room as well, all things that remind her of the world she’s stuck in and the inevitable marriage that’s going to happen in two weeks.

 _Run!_ Her mind says again but that’s not an option, but it doesn’t mean she has to stay in this room right now. She can leave, her mother can’t stop her, her mother doesn’t even have to know as long as she’s back by morning.

Lena’s eyes glance towards the window, an easy escape from her world, just for the night. Except climbing out of a three story window seems like a stupid and reckless idea when the door offers an exit just as viable.

She scrambles quickly from the floor, finds clothes deep in her closet her mother would never let her wear out but offer a good disguise for tonight. Black pants and a dark grey hoodie that’ll hopefully be cover enough if anyone sees her out, even if they may be too warm for the summer weather.

Lena listens at her doorway, knows her mother could be coming up soon or any of the various household staff could be in the hallway. When she hears nothing but quiet, she tentatively opens the door, relieved to see the hallway clear. She locks her door behind her, hopes her mother will leave her alone if she finds the door locked and receives no answer from knocking. Her mother will be even madder in the morning but she’ll deal with it then, all she wants is a break now, one night to pretend her world isn’t about to drastically change.

There are a few close calls on the way but she manages to make it out the back of the house unseen. She winds her way through the gardens, slowly meandering towards the edge of the property in the cooler night air.

But it’s not enough, she’s still too close, wants to get away completely. This had been her plan though, right, to get away, even if just for one night? With one last look back at the house she makes her decision and she jumps the fence. Even just being beyond the property line feels freeing and she smiles to herself as she makes her way to the road, intent on walking into town.

The Luthor Manison sits on the edge of town and it’s only a short walk until she makes it beyond the larger houses in her neighbourhood then a bit further passed smaller houses and not longer later, she’s in the town centre, the streets lined with shops that are closed at this now rather late hour, late for small town shops anyway.

She hadn’t really thought this far through, what was she to do now? Everything is closed and she has nowhere to go. She barely knows this town, has no friends here (or anywhere really, her only ‘friends’ are other rich kids her family knows), has only spent summers here because she’s always been away at boarding school or university.

It’s probably a good thing that she hasn’t had to spend much time here though, her family isn’t exactly popular after everything that happened with Lex.

That’s just another reason she wants to take over her family’s company, their headquarters are in the neighbouring city which means she can finally leave this town, get away from here and be her own person, even if she does have to marry Mike to do it.

A light further down the street catches her eye and she sighs in relief.

A café, that works.

Lena startles slightly when the bell above the door jingles when she enters. She looks around and the place is empty except for one customer and a barista, a girl who looks to be about her age, behind the counter. That’s even better, less people to see her, less people to recognize her.

The girl behind the counter looks up and smiles at her as she enters. Lena can’t help but return the smile, the girl’s eyes bright even in the harsh lighting of the café as she watches Lena.

“Hi. What can I get for you?”

Oh. So maybe there’d been one flaw in her plan to enter a café. She has no money. She pats her pockets in the vain hope that they’d be money hidden away somewhere but it’s no use, she has nothing.

“I..umm…” She’s already stepping backwards, needs to get out of here. This’ll only bring attention to her and she can’t have anyone know she’s here, even if the man in the corner isn’t paying any attention, the only eyes on her are the deep blue one’s of the girl behind the counter.

“What can I get for you?” the girl amends. “On the house.”

Lena freezes, already halfway to the door. She frowns as she looks at the girl but the barista’s smile never falters even if there is a bit of confusion in her eyes.

“Oh no, I can’t-“

The girl cuts her off with a wave of her hand. “Sure you can. Hot chocolate? It’s a bit late to be drinking coffee.”

It doesn’t seem like she’s going to take no for an answer so instead Lena just nods.

“What name is that for?”

Lena’s eyes widen, she can’t give her name, can’t let this girl know who she is because clearly she doesn’t already, she wouldn’t be being this nice if she knew.

“Don’t worry about it,” the girl says with another wave of her hand and a smile and then she turns and begins to make the drink. 

Lena hears the bell jingle above the door again and knows the other customer has left but she can’t take her eyes off the barista making her coffee. She was so kind to Lena, for no other reason than that she could be.

Just this one small act of kindness has her remembering that not everything in this world is bad, that there are some good things in it too. Not just good things people can do for her but good things she can do for others and that’s the whole reason she wants to take over the company, even if Mike has to be a part of that.

“Here you go.” The girl says, and now Lena is finally close enough to see the girl’s name tag as she takes the drink from her.

“Thank you, Kara.”

The girl beams at her. “Do I get to know your name too?”

Lena just offers her a smile as she cradles the cup in her hands, the warmth seeping into her palms.

Kara gives her another smile. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”

Lena takes a seat at a table towards the back of the café, far enough away from the barista that she can still see her but not close enough that it’d be easy for the girl to talk to her while she works.

But as Lena sits here, eyes on the cup in her hand, the reason she is even here in the first place comes rushing back.

_Mike._

God, why did it have to be him, why couldn’t it be anyone but him? Lena knows the answer, there are not exactly people lining up to marry into her family, even with the amount of money they have. But the Matthews have their own company and both parties benefit from the arrangement and Lena was powerless to say no to her mother. She needs this, needs to marry to be named CEO.

Her father’s will leaves the company to her (after Lex and Lillian). Lex is in prison, so he has no control anymore and Lillian doesn’t want it, which leaves Lena as next in line. With the laws of the company, she has to be married to take control and if not, the board members will be able to seize control of the company themselves in just over two weeks, the date she officially starts, and appoint a new CEO.

She’s not going to let them do that so she has to be married before then.

Even though she knows she’ll never be happy with Mike, her company is the only thing that’s keeping her going.

She needs it. She has nothing else.

“Is everything okay?”

The words startle Lena from her thoughts and she looks up from the cup in her hand to find Kara watching her with concern.

“You haven’t touched your drink,” Kara elaborates when Lena doesn’t respond. She’s not sure she could respond with the concern shining through those blue eyes. No one has ever looked at her like that before.

“Oh,” Lena finally gets out, looking down once again. She lifts the cup, gives Kara a small smile before she takes a sip.

“Wow,” Lena says, the word falling from her mouth without thought. “That’s delicious.”

Kara beams at her again, a smile that she wouldn’t mind seeing more often.

Lena can’t help but smile back, Kara’s enthusiasm contagious, her heart giving a tiny flutter when Kara’s smile somehow widens.

“Are you okay?” Kara asks again.

Lena nods. “I’m fine, thank you.” Lena takes another sip of her hot chocolate, as if somehow that proves her statement.

Kara looks like she’s about to say more but the bell on the door draws her attention.

“Shoot.” She mutters before her eyes fall back on Lena. “I better go but if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.” She gives Lena one more smile, this one slightly softer than the others, before she turns and goes to help the other customer.

Lena downs the rest of her cooling drink quickly, feeling the need to get out of here. Not because she has somewhere else to be or because she actually wants to, but because she’s afraid she might actually spill her secrets to this random girl in this random café whose smile is like nothing she’s ever seen before.

She ducks out of the café while Kara’s back is turned and she ignores the guilt that settles in her stomach. She can’t deal with that right now, not with everything else in her life she has to think about.

Her walk home is slow, feeling no rush to get back to the place that is her house but has never been her home.

Sneaking back in is a lot easier than sneaking out was. The house is quiet, all the staff gone for the night and her mother asleep at this late hour.

She pulls her clothes off and shoves them deep into the back of her closet and finder her pyjamas instead, steadfastly ignoring the red dress crumpled on the floor. She’ll deal with that in the morning.

Lena lays awake for a while, the events of the day swirling through her mind. She thinks of the loss of her father and brother, how different things would be if they were still here. She thinks of her mother, who’s technically not forcing her into this arrangement but she’s certainly not doing anything to help her out of it.

The thought of Mike and their dinner makes her skin crawl. How is she supposed to spend the rest of her life with someone like him? She’s always imagined she’d marry for love before all of this had happened, and it wouldn’t have been to a man.

But that’s out of her control now, she needs to think of her company and all she can do with it once she’s in charge. She’s doing all of this for Luthor Corp and that’s going to be what gets her through.

The last thought on her mind as she slips off to sleep is something she knows she shouldn’t be thinking about but it’s the only part of her day that has made her genuinely smile.

She thinks of blonde hair, blue eyes and the most beautiful smile she’s ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to get this all posted before Christmas, which means I've combined a couple of my planned chapters and I'll be posting a new chapter every few days. Enjoy!

Mike wants to see her again. It’s the last thing Lena wants but she doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter. (She can tell it’s her mother’s doing, can tell she’s angry at her for her performance yesterday so unfortunately that only puts more pressure on her to behave today).

She doesn’t see the point in all of this though. In thirteen days they’re going to marry, whether either of them wants to or not, so what’s the point in getting to know him when they’re going to have to spend the rest of their lives doing just that?

“You’re going to behave today, aren’t you?” Lillian asks with a stern look on her face when Lena finally makes her way downstairs for their next ‘date’.

Lena’s hair is in loose curls this time, as well as another new dress, courtesy of her mother again. Lena doesn’t see the point in all of this effort either, Mike’s already agreed to marry her so there’s no need to try to impress him. Her stomach churns at the thought that she has to dress this way just for him. 

“Yes, Mother,” Lena agrees just as there’s a knock at the door.

Mike kisses her hand in greeting again today and Lena has to resist the urge to wipe the back of her hand on her dress as he greets her mother the same way.

“I need to go check on lunch. Why don’t you two kids go for a walk around the garden and I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”

Mikes flashes Lillian a charming smile but Lena can tell he’s almost as reluctant about the idea as Lena is. Although, he’s probably just annoyed at the fact that walking around the garden sounds boring whereas Lena just wants to spend as little time with him as possible.

Especially when she has to be alone with him.

The garden is nice and Lena finds herself actually glad that her mother suggested it, even if she’d rather be out here with literally anyone else.

But she has a job to do, a company she has to think about.

Luckily Lena is saved from having to start the conversation. If Mike had left it up to her, they probably would’ve just ended up walking in silence.

“So, tell me a little about yourself.”

Lena laughs, the sound hollow to her ears. “There’s not much to tell.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Mike sends her a wink and Lena fights the urge to shudder.

She’s suddenly not so grateful for her mother’s suggestion, talking to him was much easier when his attention was split between her and her mother and he didn’t leer quite so much.

“What about you?” Lena asks, hoping to direct the conversation back on him.

Lena’s not at all surprised when it works and she quickly tunes out the sound of him talking about how he was the star of his high school’s football team.

As they walk, Lena’s mind drifts, to the horrible idea that she’s going to be stuck listening to this kind of boasting for the foreseeable future, not just today but all the days after that too. She tries to put that from her mind and is startled when a pair of blue eyes and a bright smile enters her mind instead. But she quickly pushes that thought away too, there’s no point in thinking about something she can never have.

 _Never have? What’s that supposed to mean?_ It’s not like she even _wants_ Kara in the first place, does she? Not that Kara is even someone to have, you can’t _have_ a person, and why is she even thinking about this? It’s not like she’s ever even going to see Kara again.

By the time Lena tunes back into the conversation, somehow Mike has moved on to talking about his car and Lena wonders how he managed to get onto that topic with the only input from her being the occasional nod or hum.

As soon as there’s a lull in the conversation (which only happens because Mike pauses for a breath and Lena can tell he’s about to start another story, no doubt one that makes him look good), Lena speaks. She knows she needs to say this, not because she wants to but because it’ll only be something else her mother gets angry about if she doesn’t.

“I’m sorry about our dinner being cut short last night. I was really enjoying your company but unfortunately I wasn’t feeling too well.” She tries her best to make the words sound sincere.

It seems to work since Mike flashes her a _‘charming’_ smile in return.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mike says with a wave of his hand. “I understand, lady problems and all.”

“Lady problems?” Lena asks, she can’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“You know, once a month, you women get all grumpy or whatever.” He waves his hand again. “I don’t want to talk about it but yeah, I understand.” He smiles again, like he’s God’s gift to women and it takes everything in Lena to remain calm.

Honestly? She’d much prefer having cramps over having to have a conversation with him.

His words give her an idea though, one her mother is _really_ not going to be happy about, but she’s had enough of talking to him for one day, and the thought that she still has to sit through lunch with him does actually make her feel sick.

“You know what? I’m not actually feeling that well again.” She clutches her stomach for effect.” Maybe we should reschedule lunch, I’m not sure I’d be very good company.”

Mike looks vaguely alarmed and Lena has to press her lips together to stop from laughing.

”Good idea,” he says, already heading back in the direction of the house.

As quick as she can, Lena shows Mike to the door. She can’t let her mother know what she’s doing, she’d be horrified if she knew that she was kicking Mike out, especially with the excuse she’d used.

“Let me know when you’re better and we can try lunch again, I’m really enjoying getting to know you.” Mike winks and Lena shoots him her best smile in return. God this is all so fake, she hates it.

“Of course. I should be better by tomorrow. Or maybe the next day,” she quickly amends. If she can have a day off from him, she’s going to take it.

Lena hears movement upstairs and gives him a hurried goodbye before she almost shuts the door in his face. Not ten seconds later, Lillian appears at the top of the stairs. She frowns. “Where’s Mike?”

“He had to leave, something came up,” Lena quickly lies.

The rise of Lillian’s eyebrow tells Lena that she doesn’t exactly believe her but Lena’s glad that she lets it go, there’s not much she can do now that he’s gone. “That’s too bad. We’ll have to reschedule something as soon as possible, he’s such a charming young man.”

Lena swallows the insult on her tongue. He’s a pretentious douchebag, but Lena doesn’t think her mother would appreciate her talking about her future son-in-law like that.

That thought makes her sick too.

Lena retreats to her room before her mother can say more, she doesn’t need to hear more about him, when all she wants to do is forget him.

She sighs as she falls backwards onto her bed, how did she get into this mess in the first place. She was quite happy with where her life was going, she had a plan. She wanted to study more, broaden her knowledge, she knows she’s smart. She wanted to get a job, she knows she could’ve helped people with the research she could undertake, with the technological advances she no doubt could’ve been a part of.

But now everything’s changed.

She knows she can still help people, knows she can probably help _more_ people now, with the research she can fund, with the research she could be a part of once she’s established herself as a CEO. And that’s the main reason she’s doing this, to help people, she’s going to use her family name and make it better, make it better than what Lex left it, take this opportunity she’s been given.

And it is an opportunity, a great one, one she’s sure she can do great things with if she puts her mind to it. Which she has, she’s fully invested already, she knows what she wants and she’s not going to stop until she gets it. 

She _should_ be happy, because this is more than she ever dreamt she’d get, and she would be, if not for Mike in the mix. He’s going to be there, every step of the way, until she can convince the board that she’s capable alone, until she can change the stupid company laws herself and divorce him.

By her estimates, the next five years will be with him. Just the thought of having to marry him is making her feel sick, let alone spending her evenings with him, living with him, having him there all the time, with no escape.

If she didn’t want this so badly, she’d be gone already, she’d have said ‘screw you’ to the company and the Luthor name and be out there just living her life, a life where she could be with Kara.

That thought pulls her up short, she needs to stop thinking about Kara, literally a cute girl who she saw once and that was it, she probably won’t ever see her again either so there’s no point in wondering about ‘what ifs’, thinking about things that would never even happen because there’s no way that someone like Kara would be interested in her in return, certainly not a stranger who turned up late at night, couldn’t pay for their drink, then left without even saying thank you or good bye.

Guilt suddenly pools in Lena’s stomach again, she did do that, didn’t she? She didn’t even have the decency to say thank you to the kind girl who had given her a free drink, hadn’t even said goodbye, just slipped out when she wasn’t looking.

That’s not the kind of person Lena wants to be, that’s not the person she _is_ , she should at least go and say thank you to Kara, for her kindness to a complete stranger.

With that thought in mind, and maybe the thought of seeing that smile again, Lena pulls off her dress once again.

She takes her time getting dressed today, wants to give Mike ample time to leave and make sure her mother will leave her alone. Lillian can’t keep her in the house, as much as she wants to, but she will want to know where Lena is going if she gets caught.

A listen at the door tells her it’s clear and she makes a quick escape through the garden and onto the street.

She walks much quicker than last night, the fear of being seen (and a little bit the thought of seeing Kara) spurring her on.

The café seems brighter in the day, even though last night it was surrounded by darkness. But as soon as Lena steps inside, the warmth and sound surrounds her and for the first time all day, she finds herself relaxing.

She shouldn’t have to leave her home to feel like this.

One look at the counter though and Lena feels disappointment course through her.

No Kara.

Her eyes flit around the small café in the hopes of seeing her but she’s nowhere in sight, the only two workers she can see are a tall, older looking man with brown hair and a shorter blonde, about the same age, working by his side.

Lena orders a hot chocolate, this time having the foresight to at least bring some money, and she supplies a fake name when asked, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

She takes a table at the back, less chance of being seen that way. She doesn’t need rumours getting back to her mother that the youngest Luthor has finally been seen out of the house, at a café no less.

Lena sips slowly at her hot chocolate, it doesn’t taste as good as yesterday and she’s not sure whether it’s because Kara didn’t make it or because Kara’s not here.

Either way, it’s concerning that it’s Kara-related, she just wants to thank the girl, that’s all, but it seems like she may have to come back another day, or later tonight, try and catch her then instead.

“You vanished last night before I could say goodbye.”

Lena startles and looks up, her heart stuttering in her chest when she sees Kara. She’s just as cute as last night, same uniform, same hair tied back in a ponytail and that same warm smile that Lena’s having a hard time getting out of her mind. She may have come here with the intention of seeing Kara but it’s still a surprise to see her.

Lena knows what she’s here to say, knows the words that want to come out of her mouth, but she can only watch in confusion as Kara slides a cup onto the table.

“Oh no, I didn’t order-“ is what she ends up saying.

Kara waves her off. “My dad said you’ve been here a while. I thought you might want another drink.”

“I-“ She’s about to argue, but the kind smile on Kara’s face stops her. Lena knows she’s not just doing this because she’s a Luthor, the people of this town generally suck up to the richest family in town (before Lex anyway, now there’s a lot of hate directed their way), if Kara even knows who she is, Kara is just doing this because she’s kind.

Lena feels a genuine smile slip onto her face, something that’s been exceedingly rare lately. “Thank you. And not just for this,” Lena gestures to the drink in front of her. “But thank you for last night too.”

(She finds she’d do anything to receive the beaming smile Kara sends her in return).

“So, your dad works here?” Lena asks, suddenly not wanting the conversation to end. Something about Kara simultaneously puts her at ease and makes her heart race at the same time.

Kara looks delighted by the question, by Lena’s attempt at conversation. God, what is this girl doing to her?

“Yeah, so does my mom. They own the place, I’m just working her over the summer before I go back to NCU in the fall.”

Kara goes to NCU? That means she’ll be in National City too. Lena has sudden thoughts of seeing Kara in the future, after this small café and away from her mother, in a future where she’s a CEO and she’s free of her family.

Except as quick as those thoughts enter her mind, she has to shut them down. For one, why would Kara ever want to see her outside of this place, she’s just a customer who’s visited a couple of times. Not only that, she has Mike to consider now, and as much as she doesn’t like the idea, he’s part of her future and no amount of crushing on the cute barista at her local café is going to change that.

(This definitely isn’t a crush, that’s not what this is at all, she’s just here to thank Kara).

“What are you studying?”

Kara absolutely beams again, eyes bright. Lena’s not sure she’s ever seen eyes that blue before. “I’m studying journalism, I want to be a reporter. You?”

“I…” Lena stumbles over the question for a moment, the truth on the tip of her tongue, she’s finished studying, is taking over Luthor Corp in a couple of weeks, but she’s enjoying this, doesn’t want Kara to find out who she is and then never speak to her again. In the past, the Luthor name just meant ‘rich’, just meant ‘I’m better than you’, or that’s what people thought of them anyway. But now it means something else, with what Lex did…no one wants to be associated with the Luthor name.

So she settles for a half truth instead.

“I just got offered a job in National City myself, I start in two weeks.”

“That’s so exciting, you’ll be in National City too!”

Lena’s not sure why Kara looks so excited by the prospect, but Lena’s just starting to think maybe this is just the sort of person that Kara is, the sort of person who brightens anyone’s day who comes in contact with her.

“I can’t wait,” Kara continues. “Last year I lived in the college dorms but this year, I’m going to live with my sister and her girlfriend. I miss them so much, it’s going to be awesome living with them.”

Lena’s heart stills for a moment at Kara’s word, at the mention of her sister who has a _girlfriend_. It’s said so casually, no hushed tones, no side glances, no worry over who may hear, just Kara’s smile as she talks of her family. Lena’s never heard anything like this mentioned so freely before.

She definitely likes it.

Before Lena can respond, she catches the way Kara glances over to the growing line at the counter, sees the nod of her head the blonde woman gives to Kara, even if the man nudges the woman in the side after she does.

“Sorry, I should let you get back to work.” Lena says, feeling herself grow stupidly disappointed that their conversation is over.

Kara shoots her an apologetic smile. “Yeah, I better go and help.” She half turns, but looks back at Lena before she goes. “Don’t leave without saying goodbye, okay?”

“Okay,” Lena promises. She left last night without a word, but she won’t today, she’ll thank her again, properly say goodbye since it’s probably the last time she’ll get to see her. She can’t let herself get distracted, not by something like this, not when she has her future to think about.

But it would be nice to have a friend.

She watches as Kara greets other customers, sees that bright smile. Something bad settles in her stomach, something she already knew.

She’s nothing special, Kara just acts like this with everyone. It’s almost laughable, of course Kara wouldn’t be interested in someone like her, as a friend or something more, which is perfect really, because it means she can forget about this place, forget about this café that’s so warm and welcoming, forget about a smile that sends butterflies through her stomach. She has her future already planned, and it doesn’t include Kara.

Lena takes a sip of the drink Kara brought her, it really does taste better this time, even if three hot chocolates in two days is more sugar than she needs. She drinks it, savers the taste, since it’s probably her last.

She drinks this one fast, her stomach starting to growl with hunger and she realises she’s skipped lunch. She considers eating something here, just to prolong the visit, prolong sneaking glances of Kara making drinks across the room and prolong going home, but also her mother will probably come looking for her soon enough, wonder why she hasn’t eaten, wonder if she’s up to something. This deal with the Matthews is important to her and Lena knows her mother is going to be watching her to make sure she doesn’t screw up.

Even so, she can’t leave without saying goodbye, thanking Kara, not this time.

So she waits, she waits until the line dies down a bit, waits until she sees Kara step out from behind the counter, a cup in hand as she delivers a drink to another customer.

Lena intercepts Kara halfway back across the small café.

“You’re leaving?”

Lena definitely doesn’t imagine the small pout that settles on Kara’s lips as she nods.

“Will you be back tomorrow?”

“Yes.” The word falls from her lips without her permission, her body acting independently of her mind. Her mind is smart, she thinks logically, like it’s not logical how butterflies erupt in her stomach at Kara’s hopeful smile, it’s not logical that she thinks the freckles scattered across Kara’s cheeks are cute. It’s not logical and it’s certainly not helpful. “I mean, maybe,” Lena says, her mind catching up with her actions. “I may already have plans.” It’s not a lie, she wouldn’t be surprised if, when she gets home, Lillian has already organised for another date with Mike, another chance to get to know him.

If it were up to Lena, she wouldn’t have to see him again until the wedding. Why does she have to spend time with him beforehand, it’s not like she has to try make him like her or anything, they’re already engaged, he’s already in it for the money, no feelings needed.

“Oh.” There’s that damn pout again, one that almost has Lena throwing out her mother’s plans and agreeing she’ll come back. But she can’t, she won’t and luckily her mind is stronger this time and she stays quiet. “Well,” Kara’s smile is back. “I hope I see you again.”

Lena swallows back her words, because she’d really like to see Kara again too. “Thank you, again, for the drinks. Here.” She slips a twenty from her pocket, holds it out to Kara.

Kara shakes her head. “Those were on the house.”

Lena looks over at the counter, sees the tips jar and instead of arguing with Kara, she walks over to it and places the money in it. “No arguments,” Lena says when Kara opens her mouth to protest.

“That was more than the drinks,” Kara points out, which technically isn’t an argument but it’s close enough.

“The rest was a tip then, for good customer service.”

“Only the best at Danvers Café.” Kara smiles. “I’ll see you around?”

Knowing now that Kara’s parents work here, Lena wonders if Kara’s last name could be Danvers.

“Hopefully,” Lena says, her body letting the words out again before her mind can stop them. She doesn’t care so much when Kara’s smile softens.

She leaves then, she leaves because if she doesn’t, she thinks she just might stay, stay in the warmth of Kara’s smile, stay in the freedom she feels here, stay in this small world where she can forget Mike exists.

Lena sneaks back into her house through the garden, through the back door where she hopes no one will see her, and she’s almost at her room, when, of course, her mother catches her.

“Where have you been?”

Any good feelings from being out of the house immediately vanish.

“I was just in the garden,” Lena lies, and then she deflects, because she knows exactly what to say to get Lillian to leave her alone. “But I was thinking, we should invite Mike back over tomorrow, since we didn’t get to have lunch with him today.”

Lillian smiles. “Don’t worry about that, I’ve already organised everything, Mike and his mother are coming over for dinner tomorrow.”

Lena blanches at the word ‘mother’, she has to meet his family too? Why can’t they just get married and that be it? 

She’d read up on Mike, looked into his family when the news was broken to her that he was the person she was going to marry. All she could find about him in the press was that he liked to party and didn’t like responsibility. His father had died a few years ago, been in an accident of some sort but his mother was the one who had brought them to money.

In other circumstances, she’d actually like to meet Rhea Matthews, she’s a successful business woman, one who bought her husband’s company to the top of the market, it was her that has made them so successful, it’s her that still runs the business, still without her husband by her side, and definitely without her son.

Lena mulls the idea over in her mind, maybe meeting Rhea isn’t such a bad thing, maybe she could get some business advice from her, maybe this could be the one silver lining of Mike’s involvement in this whole arrangement, she certainly did well with her own company.

Lena puts on her best fake smile, because the idea of seeing Mike always needs a fake smile. “I can’t wait.”

\---

In the light of the morning, meeting Rhea doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Sure, if she was just meeting ‘businesswoman’ Rhea, then she’d be excited, but she’s not, she’s meeting her future mother-in-law, just another reminder of how much her life sucks right now.

“Lena, dear, we’re going to make it through dinner tonight, right? No interruptions or sudden disappearances?”

The look Lillian is giving her leaves no room for arguments.

“Yes mother.”

“I hope you’re not going to disappear during the day either, I have a wedding planner coming over to discuss the details for next week.”

Next week.

God, it really is that soon, isn’t it? Turning twenty one was meant to be exciting, but now she’s dreading it.

“Are we getting married here?”

If it were up to her, they’d just sign the damn papers and that be it, but of course they have to put on a show, of course they need something to show the press, something to show off to other rich families they know. They’ll spin it too, say they’re in love, there’ll be no mention of Luthor Corp or Lena having to marry to take over the company, it’ll all look like some big fairy tale when it’s anything but.

“Yes, I spoke to Rhea yesterday and she agreed, having it here would be the best idea, it gives the whole thing a more ‘family’ feel.”

Lena wants to laugh, this is as far from ‘family’ as you could get. A family is what Lena saw yesterday, Kara working alongside her parents all summer, Kara being so excited to live with her sister in the fall. The only thing that makes this a ‘family’ ordeal is that Lena is only doing this to take over her family’s company.

Despite Lillian’s words, Lena does try to vanish after breakfast. Not to see Kara, she knows she shouldn’t go back there, even if she hasn’t felt that free in a long time. She was just going to escape to her room, hide with the reports the one board member who’s actually on her side managed to send her. She wouldn’t necessarily call her and Sam friends, but she’s the youngest board member by far, having worked her way in through her brains and her money.

It means she has someone on her side once she starts as CEO and means for now, she can plan because looking at these reports, Luthor Corp really is in trouble and two weeks can’t come fast enough, even if it means she has to get married sooner.

“I want your opinions, Lena, this is your wedding after all,” her mother scolds when the wedding planner arrives. One look at the woman and Lena can tell her mother hired the most expensive person she could find.

“Flowers, a dress and catering, how hard can it be?” Lena answers, she’s not in the mood today, although she wouldn’t be in the mood for this any day, not when she doesn’t get to pick the person she’s marrying. Of all the people Lillian could’ve chosen, why did it have to be Mike?

She knows why, no one else wanted to.

“ _Lena,_ ” Lillian chastises, clearly eyeing the wedding planner.

Right, they have an image to uphold, they always do.

That’s partly why it’s so freeing, going to the cafe. She’s anonymous, she doesn’t have to be anyone but herself.

“I’m just kidding, mother,” Lena says, putting on her best smile. “I’ve been waiting for this day since I met Mike, it has to be perfect.” She feels gross even saying the words but it appeases her mother. And then, just because she can and she wants to have a little fun herself. “But I was thinking, instead of a dress, how about I wear a suit? I’m sure Mike would love it.”

From what little knowledge Lena has of Mike, he definitely _wouldn’t_ love it, and Lillian would _hate_ it. Lena knows she’ll never get it, but it’s a fun image, her, up in front of everyone, wearing a suit, Kara wearing a matching-

She needs to stop that thought right there, where on earth did Kara come from? Okay, so maybe the image of Kara wearing a suit is, frankly, quite hot, but that’s not helping her right now, and it’s not something she’s ever going to get to see, and it’s definitely not going to do anything to stop the narrowed look her mother is giving her.

“But as we talked about yesterday,” Lena says to her mother, a complete lie for the wedding planner. “A dress would be much better, I’ve always dreamt of wearing a white dress to my wedding, standing next to my soon-to-be husband in a suit.” She stage whispers to the planner. “Mike looks _very_ good in a suit.”

Lillian relaxes, shooting her a look that clearly says behave before she turns back to the wedding planner. “Mike does look quite dashing in a suit, and my Lena will look beautiful standing up there next to him.”

Lena’s not sure she’s ever heard the words “my Lena” come out of her mother’s mouth before and it sets off a strange feeling in her chest, a longing for it to be true, a longing for the mother-daughter relationship she’d wished for when she was younger, until she saw how much effort Lillian put into her relationship with Lex compared to how much she put into their relationship.

She doted on Lex, she acted like Lena was a mild inconvenience.

Until recently that is, until Lex killed those people, until he went to jail and Lillian transferred her focus onto her. Lena’s the only one left to carry on the Luthor line and her mother wants that to happen. Lena knows that’s the only reason she’d been allowed to go to university when she was younger, knows that it was because Lillian didn’t care as much about what she did, Lillian had Lex, as long as she didn’t look bad, Lena could do what she’d wanted.

Going to college had been a good look, good publicity, the “ _Luthor genius,_ ” but now Lillian needs her, needs her to take over Luthor Corp, so that’s why she’s putting in so much effort all of a sudden.

Lena wishes it was out of love.

Lillian leads them through the house, out into the garden where the wedding will take place, talking about all the plans she has while Lena has input when she’s asked, but otherwise she stays quiet, trying not to imagine what it’s going to be like next week, when the garden is decorated, when she’s in the dress they talked about as she says her vows to Mike.

It’s a highly unpleasant thought.

 _Think about Luthor Corp, think about why you’re going through all of this_ , Lena tells herself. It’s got to be worth it, all of this _has_ to be worth it.

It’s not until after lunch that she gets away, gets a few hours to herself before Mike and his mother will be here for dinner.

And she does want to be herself, wants a break, wants a break from this life while she can, wants a break before she becomes a wife and CEO and has no time for breaks.

The only reason she heads to the cafe is because she needs somewhere to go after she leaves her house, it has nothing to do with Kara and everything to do with the warm atmosphere and the need for a coffee.

Even so, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t smile when she sees Kara behind the counter, it doesn’t mean her stupid heart doesn’t betray her as it skips a beat in her chest as she takes in the messy bun atop Kara’s head, glasses slightly askew with that unfairly pretty smile on her face.

She swallows, pushes all those thoughts from her mind.

 _Think about Luthor Corp,_ she tells herself again, because all these butterflies that are suddenly in her stomach can mean nothing, can mean nothing with the future she has. In another life maybe, if she was luckier, and braver, she could ask Kara out, see if these funny feelings in her chest mean something, see what it would be like to have that smile pressed against her own.

She pushes everything down, no point in thinking about something that’s never going to happen, no point in giving herself another reason to resent Mike.

“You came back,” Kara smiles when she reaches the counter.

Lena steadfastly ignores the way that smile makes her feel. It makes her feel like she’s the only person in the world.

“I needed a coffee,” Lena replies.

“And here I thought you were just here to see me, I’m hurt,” Kara jokes, hand to her chest like the thought physically pains her.

Lena laughs, pushes down every response that pops into her mind, all sounding much too flirtatious.

“What can I get you?” Kara asks after a moment, a moment too long where Lena doesn’t reply. She chastises herself, now she just looks like an idiot.

“Just a black coffee thanks. Large.”

Kara pulls a face. “You like black coffee?”

Lena laughs again. “Do you usually insult your customer’s drink choice?”

Red stains high on Kara’s cheeks, and Lena is reminded of how cute she is. Not that she needs the reminder, it seems like everything Kara does is cute.

“Sorry, I-“

“Relax, I’m joking,” Lena says, because Kara actually looks sorry and Lena feels bad for teasing her.

“Oh,” Kara laughs too, visibly relaxing. “Are you sure you don’t want any sugar or milk in that?”

“I’m sure,” Lena smiles. Black coffee had been her go-to at college, needed the caffeine boost to get her through late night studying. She’d started drinking it black because it had been the quickest to make but now she’s developed a taste for it. Kara’s hot chocolates are delicious but she needs coffee today. “Can I get that to go?” Lena adds, this can only be a short visit, her mother will no doubt come looking for her soon to make sure she’s getting ready for tonight.

“Could I get a name for that?” Kara asks, hand poised with a pen hovering over a takeaway cup.

Lena raises a practised eyebrow at the challenge clear in Kara’s eyes. Lena almost lies, almost gives the same name she’d used yesterday, enjoying the anonymity of this place.

But then she doesn’t, and it’s partly the challenge in Kara’s eyes, because Lena is never one to back down from a challenge, partly the hope she can see peeking through in Kara’s look, but mostly it’s the fact that she doesn’t want to lie, Kara has been so nice to her, Kara opened up to her a little yesterday and Lena wants to do the same.

She just hopes once Kara knows her name, she won’t hate her like everyone else seems to now.

“Lena.”

It feels so freeing to say that, to open up herself and let someone just that little bit in. Lena’s had her walls up for so long, it feels foreign to let them down slightly.

There’s clear surprise on Kara’s face, just for a moment, she can tell the name is real but Lena’s not sure if it’s the truth or recognition that causes the look. And then it’s gone, replaced by another of Kara’s smiles.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lena,” Kara says quietly, conscious of the fact that Lena is clearly still hiding. Lena wishes she knew whether Kara has pieced together what her last name is.

Kara’s mom gives her a smile when she joins Kara at the counter, takes over serving customers while Kara makes her drink. She watches as practiced hands work the coffee machine, watches as quiet words are exchanged between the pair as they work, Kara laughing at whatever her mother has to say, the woman shaking her head with a fond smile at Kara.

Lena wishes she and her mother were like that.

“Large black coffee for Tara,” Kara calls when she’s done, Lena taking a moment to realise that was the fake name she’d used yesterday. She’s not sure why it makes her happy that Kara knows that but it does.

“Thank you,” Lena says, thanking her for more than just the coffee as she accepts the cup. There’s a little smiley face scribbled next to her name and she doesn’t even know Kara that well but it feels distinctly her.

Lena realises she has nothing more to say, nothing that a normal customer would say to their barista so she just gives Kara a smile. “I’ll see you later?” It comes out like more of a question when it shouldn’t, it’s completely up to Lena whether they see each other again, whether she comes back here or not.

“I hope so,” Kara says, quiet, genuine, and Lena knows she shouldn’t but she promises herself she’ll come back.

“Wait, here, take one of these too,” Kara says, stopping Lena before she can leave. Lena watches, confused, as Kara pulls out a paper bag and then grabs something from the food cabinet. “You have to try these, my dad makes the best blueberry muffins.” Kara holds out the bag towards Lena, giving her no choice but to take it.

“You really shouldn’t be giving away so much free food and drinks, it’s not good for business.”

Kara shrugs, smiles. “You keep coming back, don’t you?”

Lena wants to point out that has nothing to do with the food and everything to do with Kara but she doesn’t, because she is not coming here just for Kara, she’s not.

She leaves with a goodbye to Kara, a smile on her mind the whole walk home as she eats a delicious muffin and sips at her coffee. She walks slowly, takes the long way, wants to saver this feeling before she sees the Luthor mansion and reality hits again.

She’s happy, in this moment, she feels good, she just wishes it would last.

Lena’s mood sours as soon as she gets home, sees her mother and the dress she’s bought for her. Why another new dress? She has enough already.

Lillian leaves her alone to get ready this time, which is a relief because she’s not in the mood to play nice like she had to earlier.

Lena admires the dress in the mirror, can admit her mother has good taste, this time she actually feels good wearing it, even if she still hates the idea that she has to dress for someone else and not herself. But this dress makes her look older, makes her feel older, and she supposes it’s something she’s going to have to get used to, dressing up like this, no doubt she’ll have to wear similar things as her new job as boss.

That’s not a thought for now though, that’s a thought for later, that’s a thought for after the wedding and when she actually gets to take over Luthor Corp, gets to rebrand it as L-Corp like she’s been thinking more seriously about over the past few days.

“You look beautiful,” Lillian smiles when she comes down stairs, slightly unsteady on heels she’s still getting used to. She supposes this is good practice.

Lena almost smiles at the comment, until her mother’s next words ruin it. “Mike is going to love it.”

“I’m not dressing for him,” Lena says, letting out some of her foul mood before Mike can arrive. The only highlight of tonight is getting to meet Rhea, but Lena’s not sure how that part is going to go.

“But you will behave in front of him, and his mother.” There’s a warning in Lillian’s tone, it’s not a question and there’s no room for arguments. “We can’t lose this, if you want Luthor Corp, you have to make sure Mike and Rhea are happy, he was the only one to even consider marrying you, we’re lucky he’s agreed and you’re not going to mess this up.”

“I’ll be good,” Lena promises, she doesn’t have a choice this time.

Just then the doorbell rings and Lena takes a deep breath. This is it.

The first thought Lena has when the door opens to reveal their guests is how it’s unfair that Rhea gets to wear a suit but Lillian would never let her wear one. 

Her second thought is that she already likes Rhea more than she likes Mike.

“Welcome,” Lillian says, gesturing the two inside. Mike greets her first, pulling Lena into a hug, placing a kiss to her cheek. 

Lena smiles, playing the part, but she doesn’t like that he’s getting bolder with each meeting.

“Lena, Lillian,” Mike says, gesturing to the woman beside him. “This is my mother, Rhea.”

Rhea smiles, warm and genuine and Lena feels herself relaxing. She reminds her a bit of Kara’s mother. “It’s so nice to meet you both, Mike has told me so much about you.”

Lena’s not sure what Mike could’ve possibly told her because they’ve never spoken past superficial things and him going on and on about himself.

“He hasn’t told us nearly enough about you,” Lena says, accepting the hug Rhea offers, pressing her own kiss to Lena’s cheek and then greeting Lillian the same way.

“This evening we’ll change that then,” Rhea smiles. “We’re family now.”

They head to the dining room and Mike makes to take the seat next to Lena when Rhea redirects him around the table. “You’ve had two days with Lena, it’s my turn to get to know my future daughter-in-law. I read that paper you helped publish last year and it’s amazing, and at a later date I’d very much like to discuss it with you.”

Lena ignores Mike’s annoyed look in favour of answering his mother. “You’ve read my paper?”

“Of course, the work you did at college was incredible. You’re a genius, and if I could’ve picked anyone for my son to marry, it would’ve been you.”

Considering how badly dinner could’ve gone, it seems it just may turn out okay. Lena decides not to point out the fact that she did basically choose this match, her and Lillian were the masterminds behind this marriage, Lena’s only in it for the company and Mike is probably only in it for the money.

Lena smiles, this one genuine for the first time tonight, for the first time around Mike. “I’m not sure I deserve that kind of praise.”

“Nonsense dear,” Lillian jumps in. “Not many can say they’ve accomplished what you have by the age of twenty.”

“Exactly, and now you’re going to be running your own company by twenty one. I have no doubt that you’re going to do amazing.”

Lena feels her cheeks heat. “Me, what about you? You’ve built your company up from the ground into a multimillion dollar business, if anyone’s amazing, it’s you.”

“Maybe,” Rhea laughs, takes the compliment in her stride. “But tonight isn’t about me, it’s about you and Mike. I hear you have some plans for the wedding already?”

Lillian steps in again, handling the wedding questions and Lena just watches on as the food is served, watches as they discuss things she definitely didn’t agree on but it looks like she doesn’t have a choice, in a lot of things now.

But, amazingly, Lena finds herself actually enjoying herself. Not the talk about her upcoming wedding, or talking to Mike, but the bits in between, the bits where she gets to talk to Rhea, the parts where Rhea seems genuinely interested in her, asks her questions, actually listens to the answers. Mike looks bored but Lena doesn’t care. Her mother looks pleased and she knows she shouldn’t care about that but she does, it feels like this one small part of her life is going okay and she’s making her mother proud, even if it’s by doing something as simple as getting on with her future mother-in-law.

“I’ll go check on dessert,” Lillian says as the dinner is drawing to a close. “Lena, help me?”

Lena’s not sure why her mother needs her help but she finds it best not to argue so she follows anyway.

“You’re doing well,” Lillian says once they’re far enough away not to be overheard. “You’ve got Rhea’s approval which means Mike won’t change his mind now.”

Maybe she should’ve acted out this evening, maybe she should’ve made Rhea hate her so the deal would be off. Maybe she should’ve done a lot of things differently so she didn’t end up here, including alerting the authorities when she first thought Lex was dealing in some shady business. It’s too late for a lot of the maybe’s now.

“Did you call me out here to tell me that?”

“No, I want you to talk to Mike, ask for his phone number, show you’re making an effort and so you can set things like this up without me having to intervene. You want to get to know him before you get married, right?”

Not really, Lena wants to say, she’d much prefer to just not see Mike again until the wedding, but it seems that’s another choice that’s been taken from her.

“Yes mother.”

Lillian nods and then really does head to the kitchen to check on dessert, Lena herself making her way back to dinner.

“She seems perfect.” Lena pauses just outside the dining room when she hears Rhea’s words, smiles. She isn’t even there and Rhea is still saying nice things about her. If she could’ve picked her own mother-in-law, she thinks she’d have picked Rhea.

But then Rhea’s next words make her freeze, suddenly make her see red.

“She seems like she’ll be easy to manipulate, we’ll be able to get control of Luthor Corp soon enough, we just need to give it time.”

“You know I don’t care about that, I just care that she’s hot.”

“I know,” Rhea says. “And that’s all you need to do, just keep her happy. She’s nice enough, and she _is_ smart, a good match for you and I’m sure she’ll make you happy, which is the main reason I said yes when I heard about this arrangement. But I wouldn’t be the businesswoman I am if I didn’t take an opportunity like this to merge our companies, build the empire your father and I always dreamt of, something that’ll be yours one day.”

“Can’t we just let her run it? Like you said, she’s smart.”

In that one moment, she hates Mike that little bit less, but she hates Rhea even more. Has this whole evening just been her buttering her up to make sure she doesn’t back out, an opportunity for Rhea to get Lena on her side?

“No, the company will be ours.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lillian says, startling Lena from behind her. “The plan stays the same, you marry Mike. The company is yours, on that much I can guarantee, we’re not going to let them take that from you, no matter what their plan is. We just need you to be married.”

Lena would be flattered by the support but she knows her mother doesn’t want Luthor Corp because Lena herself wants it, she wants Lena as CEO for her own personal reasons.

“Does that mean I can get out of seeing him until the wedding? Since clearly they only want my company too?”

“No, he likes you, and we’ll need that once you two get married.”

Lena sighs. She absolutely hates this.

_For Luthor Corp._

“Dessert will be out in just a moment,” Lillian exclaims as they re-enter the room, smiling, showing no indication that they overheard anything.

“It’s pecan pie and it’s delicious,” Lena adds. “Our chef makes the best in the state.”

“Pecan pie is a favourite of Mike’s,” Rhea says, smiling too.

Lena thinks Lillian may have known that already.

Rhea gives them both warm hugs again before she leaves, but this time Lena knows that they’re fake, knows she has ulterior motives. It makes Lena want to do something, to be petty, to strike back in some way. And she will, by keeping her company and not letting Mike or Rhea anywhere near it. Even though they’ll be family, it’s still _her_ company.

Before Mike leaves, she slips him a piece of paper. “Text me sometime?”

Mike grins. God, she hates it. “Maybe next time we can hang out without our parents,” he winks. If Lena throws up on him, will he back off? Lillian probably wouldn’t be too pleased by that.

“If you’re lucky,” Lena smirks. Or she hopes it’s a smirk, hopes the disgust isn’t clear on her face.

She hates the way his eyes flash down her body and suddenly she wishes she wasn’t in this dress, wishes it was looser, wishes she was wearing something that left more to the imagination.

It’s years of Luthor practice, years of holding back her emotions, that has the smile still on her face as they leave.

Lillian smiles at her after the door closes, and she doesn’t even say anything but Lena feels stupidly proud about making her mother happy.

\---

Lena doesn’t get much sleep that night, tosses and turns, mind on Mike and Rhea and Kara, dreams mixed with reality as she thinks about her future and the last few days. How has her life changed so much in just one week?

She’s already tired when she rolls out of bed the next morning, already in a foul mood, which only sours even more when she receives a text, one from Mike asking her to dinner that night. She ignores it, tosses her phone across the room and pulls on some clothes.

She needs coffee, and she needs that feeling of peace and comfort she feels at Danvers Cafe, which is the only reason she sneaks out of the house again, it has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see Kara again.

(Maybe it does).


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More supercorp!

Even just being out of the walls of the Luthor Mansion is freeing, and Lena can’t believe she hadn’t realised this before, hadn’t spent more of the time she was stuck here during school breaks sneaking out, instead of being trapped inside.

Not that she regrets her summers spent inside, spent alone even when they went on vacation. She studied, she worked hard to get accepted into university so young, and, if she was lucky, she got to spend time with Lex.

But now, with this feeling, she wonders if her life could’ve been different, if _she_ could’ve been different.

If she could’ve been less alone.

Even the smell of coffee and baking is wonderful as she steps into the café, the little bell ringing above her head. She’s distinctly disappointed when she doesn’t spot Kara right away but she pushes that feeling away. She’s not here for Kara, she’s here to get some coffee, she’s here for _herself._

Kara is a distraction she can’t entertain, not with her future to think about.

So then why does her heart skip several beats when Kara steps through a door behind the counter? Why does the way Kara instantly smiles at her make her feel like getting to know Kara wouldn’t be a bad thing?

Lena’s never had friends before, never needed them, never had people who _wanted_ to be her friend, but now she thinks she may have been missing out on something.

Kara’s father takes her order again today and she finds her usual seat near the back, decides that she wants to stay, at least for a bit, to soak up all these good feelings before she has to think about the fact that Mike wants to take her out for dinner tonight, before she has to go back to her real life and out of the bubble that this brightly lit café seems to be in.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away long, no one can resist my amazing coffee-making skills,” Kara says as she slides Lena’s drink onto the table in front of her. Lena’s glad it’s her.

“You didn’t even make this,” Lena points out, having seen Kara’s dad make the drink himself.

“Details,” Kara waves her hand with a grin. She turns to leave but stops, looks back at Lena. Her grin suddenly isn’t as wide. “Will you be staying long today?”

Lena frowns, not sure what the question is about.

“I have my break in an hour, will you still be here then?”

Lena swallows, nods.

“Perfect, I’ll join you then.”

Kara is gone before Lena even has a chance to respond. Kara’s going to join her? As in Kara is going to sit with her? And probably talk to her? Kara’s going to, of her own free will, spend her break with her?

Nothing makes sense anymore.

And Lena suddenly regrets coming, suddenly regrets leaving her house that first night, then coming back again and again. She knows her life is brighter, just from meeting Kara, but if she didn’t leave, if she didn’t step into this café, now she wouldn’t be in the position of having to talk to Kara, be in the position where Kara is probably going to figure out who she is, especially now that she knows her name.

And then once Kara figures out who she is, she’ll never be able to come back here again. This is why she never left the house, not just because Lillian wouldn’t let her, but to avoid disappointment, to avoid having potential friendships ruined when they find out she’s a Luthor.

Why did she have to tell Kara her name yesterday? She could’ve continued coming here, totally anonymously, until she has to move in less than two weeks.

This is why she regrets it, because she’s sure Kara will forget about her by tomorrow, become some story she can tell her friends about how the Luthor heiress came to her café, without even enough money to buy a drink. But Lena won’t forget this place, forget this feeling, forget blue eyes that warm her like no person ever has.

Despite all of this, she stays. She stays because Kara is expecting her to. She stays on the off chance that Kara won’t figure out who she is. She stays because this coffee really is delicious and she wants to see that smile one more time.

If this is the last time she’s going to see Kara, then, just to herself, just for a moment, she can admit that maybe she does have a crush on Kara. Not that it means anything, because she has Mike now.

Lena’s long finished her coffee when Kara next appears by her table, this time with a tray in her hand.

She looks nervous, eyes darting from Lena to the empty table.

“I realised after I left before that I didn’t even ask, is it okay if I join you?”

Lena doesn’t even consider saying no, gesturing to the seat opposite her. “Why would you want to spend your break with a random customer?” she asks.

Kara shrugs as she places the tray on the table. “Because you seem nice, and because it’s been fun talking to you the last couple of days.”

Lena’s not sure the word ‘nice’ has ever been used to describe her before. ‘Bitch’ definitely has been. And ‘fun’? That’s another word that’s never been associated with her.

“Here, I thought you might be hungry,” Kara says, pushing one of the plates on the tray across the table.

‘Nice’ is definitely a word she’d use to describe Kara.

“Kara,” Lena admonishes. “Didn’t we talk about you giving away free food?”

Kara grins this time. “Trust me, you have to try these too, sticky buns are my favourite. Do you want another drink? I can get Jeremiah to make you one if you want.”

“I’m fine thank you. Jeremiah?”

Kara nods at the man behind the counter, mouth already full of food. It shouldn’t be cute, her cheeks bulging with food, but it is. She has to swallow before she speaks. “My dad.”

Lena frowns. “You call your dad, Jeremiah?”

“Adoptive dad.” Kara’s smile dims slightly and Lena regrets asking. “The Danvers adopted me when I was thirteen.”

“They seem nice,” Lena says, because she really doesn’t know what else to say. She wishes her family was this nice.

Kara instantly brightens. “They’re the best, I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

“I’m adopted too,” Lena says, her stupid mouth working before her mind again. Kara’s sharing and she wants to too, she wants just one person to know who she is.

What Lena doesn’t expect, is for Kara’s eyes to dart away, for her cheeks to go red. “I know.”

Lena’s eyes widen. “You know?” Does that mean…?

“Everyone in Midvale knows the story of how Lena Luthor was adopted by the Luthor family when she was four.”

“How long have you known what my last name is?” Is that what this is? Is this not just Kara being friendly, is this Kara wanting a story, wanting something from her, like all the other people in her life do. Because now, that’s the only reason she can think of for Kara still wanting to talk to her, knowing who she is. It was hard enough trying to make friends when she was younger, with the power of the Luthor family hanging over her. But after Lex, it became impossible.

She says that like she had friends when she was younger. Jack is probably the closest she came to a friend, her lab partner at college, but he was a few years older than she was. At least he was always nice.

“Since you told me your name. I thought you looked familiar but I didn’t realise who you were until then.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Lena asks, picking at the food in front of her. Kara’s already finished her first sticky bun and is onto her second.

Kara shrugs. “You didn’t seem like you wanted anyone to know.”

“If you know who I am, why are you still talking to me?”

Kara frowns. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I’m a _Luthor_ ,” Lena says, instantly regretting the venom she fills the name with. She clears her throat. “If you know who I am, you must know what my family, what Lex, has done.”

Kara shrugs again. “I know what he did, but I also know that wasn’t you.” She smiles. “To me, you’re just the girl who keeps coming back to our café, the girl who’s made me laugh and made this week working less boring. I try not to judge people before I get to know them.” Her smile slips again, into something more nervous. “Do you want me to go? I realise now you probably came here to be alone.”

“Please don’t,” Lena says, quiet, still not believing what she’s just heard Kara say. Everyone makes that snap judgement the first time she sees her, that she must be stuck up, she must be a bitch, she must be unkind, thanks to her last name. And now everyone thinks she’s just like Lex, Mike the only one willing to risk even being associated with her last name.

But now here’s Kara, saying she doesn’t care, saying she isn’t judging her, saying she made her laugh and, it seems, she still wants to get to know her.

Lena swallows down all the feelings that boil up, pushes them all away to smile at Kara.

“Thank you.” And then she offers Kara a question, something to keep the conversation going, something that proves she doesn’t want Kara to leave. “How long have you lived in Midvale?”

“Since I was adopted, then two years ago I moved to National City for college. That’s when Eliza and Jeremiah brought this place.” Kara gestures around her. “Which I’m _so_ mad about, they waited until I’d left home and now I only get to eat all this delicious food when I’m back on break.” She punctuates her sentence by shoving the rest of her second sticky bun in her mouth.

For the first time in a long time, Lena feels herself truly relax as she talks to someone. She picks up a piece of her own food, pops it into her own mouth. “Okay,” Lena chews. “I can see why you’re upset, these are delicious.”

“Right? Alex thinks I’m being dramatic but I’m really not. I mean they send me care packages but it’s not the same. What about you, how long have you lived here? The Luthor Mansion has been here for years but it never seems like anyone’s there.”

“I only spend breaks here too, most of the time when I was younger I was away at boarding school or on holiday and these last few of years I’ve spent at university.”

“University?” Kara frowns. “How old are you? I mean, sorry, that sounded rude, you just look my age.”

“I’m twenty. I started university when I was seventeen, I finished last month.”

Kara’s eyes widen. “I heard you were smart but wow, that’s amazing.” Kara grins. “You’re amazing.”

Lena feels herself blushing under the praise, Kara’s eyes bright blue and genuine.

“And you start a new job in a couple of weeks in the city?” Kara asks, Lena for some reason touched that Kara actually listened to her, actually remembers what she said.

Lena nods. “I start two days after my twenty-first birthday.”

“You’re twenty-one soon, that’s so exciting, I’m twenty-one too!” Kara’s grinning like that’s the best news she’s ever heard but Lena thinks this just might be who she is, always happy, always excited, always making others feel good. 

Except the reminder doesn’t make her feel good, not when she thinks about what has to happen before then.

“Is everything okay?” Kara asks, smile instantly vanishing. Why does she sound so concerned for someone she met just a few days away?

“I’m fine,” Lena says, pasting on her best Luthor smile

“Good.” Kara looks down at her watch. “Shoot, my break’s almost over.” There’s that word again, it’s kind of adorable.

“Shoot?”

Kara’s cheeks turn red. “I don’t like to swear,” she mumbles, and suddenly Lena feels bad for asking, maybe she’s been teased about it before.

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Kara looks up, clearly surprised, and Lena feels her heart melt just a bit, the wall she’s built around her heart crumbling just a little more. “Thank you, for spending your break with me, and for the free food, yet again.”

“No, thank _you_ , for indulging my boredom.” Kara stands, gathers the remnants of her break on the tray, but she stops before she picks it up, pulls out a notepad and pen from her pocket. She scribbles something down before tearing the page out and holding it towards Lena.

Lena is beyond surprised to see Kara’s name and phone number written hastily on the paper, a smiley face beside it.

“Text me? I know you’ve been coming here every day, but just incase you don’t.”

Lena takes the paper. It had been surprise enough that Kara wanted to talk to her in the first place, at first for just a few minutes, and now over her break, but Kara wants to talk to her outside of here too? Where there’s no restrictions on how long they could talk?

“Can I?” Lena asks, holding her hand out for Kara’s notepad, making a decision herself. She knows once she leaves here, knows when she’s not under Kara’s smile, she’ll be able to think more rationally, will be able to talk herself out of all this, tell herself how bad of an idea it would be to become friends with Kara. She’s not good with people, not good with friends, and she’ll just end up hurting Kara and herself in the process.

But she doesn’t want to be rational, she doesn’t want to overthink something for once in her life, she wants to be able to see Kara again, wants to get to know her more, find out what her favourite colour is, her favourite movie, her favourite book, wants to see her smile again.

She quickly writes down her own number, hands it to Kara, taking the decision away from just herself. If she doesn’t text Kara, if she chickens out or realises how much of a bad idea this really is, it doesn’t matter, because now Kara can text her too.

“I’ll see you around?” Kara asks, hopeful.

That same hope fills Lena’s chest, makes her forget everything, just for a moment, everything but Kara’s smile. “I’ll see you around.” She smiles as Kara leaves, watches her get back to work before she looks back down at the paper now tucked in her hand. She unlocks her phone, enters Kara’s number, adds a smiley face after Kara’s name and hits save.

Her good mood fades instantly when she sees the message from Mike, still sitting unanswered. Lena knows her mother isn’t going to be happy, but she makes a snap decision and hits delete instead of replying. It may only buy her a day or two before she has to see him again, but it’s enough that she’s genuinely smiling when she leaves the café not long later, Kara’s small wave lifting her spirits even more.

Her good mood follows her all the way home, and not even her mother asking after Mike that evening dampens her spirits. At least Lillian believes the frown and “not yet” Lena offers in answer.

Once Lena’s back alone in her room, she contemplates texting Kara, but she doesn’t know what to say. She erases multiple messages, each one sounding stupid, before she drops her phone in a huff. This is why she gave Kara her number too, because she has no idea what to even say. She just hopes Kara texts her first, and if not, Lena already knows she’s going to the café tomorrow.

She can pretend, say it’s because of the coffee, or because of the sticky buns, but this time she can’t even lie to herself, she’s going to see Kara. And she may be getting married in eleven days, and she knows nothing romantic can ever happen between the two of them, but she’s going to make the most of her eleven days left of freedom, she’s going to allow herself to have a friend, if Kara wants that too.

Lena doesn’t make it to the café the next day. Lillian intercepts her at breakfast, needs her for a dress fitting, then for more wedding planning. She wonders why Mike and Rhea aren’t helping with all this, but she’s glad for the fact, glad she doesn’t have to see them again today.

Her good mood from yesterday is already ruined because she can’t go to the café today, but she doesn’t need Mike and Rhea around to make it worse.

By the time they’ve finished everything, all the planning, all the discussions, by the time Lillian lets her our of her sights, it’s late, too late to go and see Kara, too late to do anything but mope about the fact that that’s one day less she can see Kara.

Thankfully on Thursday morning, Lillian seems more focused on her own things, whatever they are, and she doesn’t care when Lena vanishes upstairs after breakfast.

This time, Lena actually has the foresight to bring a book with her to the café, something to do instead of just watching the other customers or getting lost in her mind at the thought of how much is going to change in nine days.

So she orders a hot chocolate today, from Kara’s mother this time, who informs her that Kara starts work in half an hour. Lena goes red with the implication that she’s here to see Kara. She is, but she doesn’t need Kara or Kara’s mother to know that. She takes her usual seat in the back and quickly gets lost in her book.

She gets so lost in her book, in fact, that she actually jumps when someone drops into the seat opposite her. She’s about to tell the person that the seat is taken, even though it’s really not, when she’s met with a wide grin and shining blue eyes. It’s been, what, five days, since she first walked into this café, but that smile has already carved out a little place in her heart.

“You came back,” Kara beams.

“I got bored at home,” Lena laughs, Kara way too enthusiastic for ten in the morning. “Sorry I couldn’t make it yesterday, I was busy.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad you came back today. And if you’re really that bored,” Kara says, tossing a dishtowel at Lena, it landing over her book. “You can help me clear tables. There’s also already a stack of dishes in the back that my mom is no doubt going to make me do too.”

Lena laughs, tosses the towel back, it hitting Kara square in the chest. “I’m good thanks, I’m pretty sure that’s your job.”

“It is, and some days I love working here, like when I get to serve pretty customers like you, but I must admit, I’m not the biggest fan of dishes.”

Lena’s surprised her voice comes out normal when she replies. Sure, she knows she’s not unattractive, but the usual compliments she receives are ‘beautiful’ and ‘gorgeous’, all from people who want things from her. Mike had called her pretty, but in a condescending sort of way. Kara utters the compliments offhand, no motivation behind it as she smiles, just like she’s stating a simple fact.

“I’m pretty sure no one likes doing dishes.” Lena hopes the blush across her cheeks isn’t obvious.

“True,” Kara muses. “True. Okay,” she stands again, just as quickly as she sat down. It seems any nervousness in her actions towards Lena are gone. “I need to go clear those tables that you refuse to help me with. Don’t leave?” Kara asks. “My break is soon and I can join you again?”

“Didn’t you just start work like ten minutes ago?”

Kara shrugs with a grin. “The perks of working for your parents.”

As quickly as Kara was here, she’s gone again, back to work. Kara pokes her tongue out as Lena watches her, Lena shaking her head before she turns her attention back to her book. Is this what it’s like to have a friend? Lena really hopes so.

And then sure enough, it mustn’t even be half an hour later, Kara’s once again claiming the seat across from her, this time with some sort of pastries on a tray.

“Should I even tell you not to keep bringing me free food?” Lena asks.

“Eliza told me you left a big tip this morning so I’m pretty sure you’ve already paid for this.”

Lena takes the pastry without anymore comments, the smile on Kara’s face telling her she thinks she won this round. Lena’s definitely going to put more money in the tip jar, she’s just going to be more subtle about it next time.

“Mmmm,” Lena hums around the first bite. “Does your dad make all of these? They’re delicious.”

Kara grins. “They are, right? Yeah, him and my mom make them all. Alex and I, however, didn’t inherit any of their cooking skills and are actually banned from using the kitchen. The third fire we started nearly burnt down this place.”

“Wait, I’m sorry, you started not one, not two, but _three_ fires in your attempts to cook.”

“We were hungry. And we put them out, no one was hurt.”

Lena laughs. She’s not the best at cooking, but even she’s not that bad.

It feels so easy, talking to Kara, Lena’s going to savor this while she can. Maybe she could see Kara in National City, when Kara’s back at school and Lena’s CEO, maybe this friendship could last longer than two weeks, but just in case it doesn’t, Lena’s going to make the most of this.

“Okay, you know I hate doing the dishes and can’t cook, tell me something about you.”

The question stumps Lena for a moment, there’s not much to tell. She thinks for a moment, tries to think of something in her life that’s worth telling. It saddens her to realise there’s not much.

“When I was nine,” Lena begins, remembering one of the only fond memories she has left of her brother, something not tainted by his recent actions. “I built a robot to follow my brother around the house, it even went up and down stairs. At first he thought it was cool, but after two days, he smashed it.”

“You built a robot when you were nine?!”

Lena smirks. “Genius, remember?”

“Okay, smarty pants. I think you’d get on well with my sister, she thinks she’s better than everyone too.”

“I never said-“ Lena starts, because that’s what a lot of people assume, she doesn’t want Kara thinking that too. Kara cuts in before she can defend herself.

“Sorry, that was a joke. Something else you should know about me, I like to make jokes.”

Lena smiles, relaxing again. “Maybe you should get better jokes?”

“That’s what Alex says,” Kara mumbles, Lena laughing once more at the pout that settles on Kara’s face. It’s entirely too cute, much cuter than a simple pout should be.

Lena’s laughter cuts off when her phone screen lights up, all the warmth in her chest turning cold when she sees it’s another message from Mike. She should’ve left it at home, it’s not like people even text her. Except now there’s Mike who has her number.

And Kara.

She looks up, finds Kara watching her curiously. Lena hits delete before she can think too much about it, she’s not letting Mike ruin her day.

“Is everything okay?” Kara asks.

The genuine concern in her voice, on her face, almost has tears springing to Lena’s eyes. She’s not used to people caring about her, not like this. This is real.

Kara is real, she is kind and funny and sweet and even though they’ve only known each other a few days, she _cares._

“Lena?” The question startles her, but not as much as the fingers that brush her hand, not as much as the heat that shoots up her arm at the contact, not as much as the warmth that spreads through her chest, replacing all that sadness with something better.

Lena realises she still hasn’t replied when she sees Kara glance away, her hand retreating back across the table to where she tucks it into her lap.

“No, I…” Lena pushes down the unexpected emotions, and is surprised that the smile that slips onto her face is real, despite the fluttering in her stomach. “I’m fine.” Her smile widens. “I’m good actually.”

Kara looks unsure for a minute before a smile spreads back across her face too. Lena’s pretty sure she could look at that smile forever. “Good.”

“So, I think it’s your turn to tell me something about yourself.”

Kara hums, clearly deep in thought for a moment before her whole face brightens. “I love dogs.”

Lena laughs. “Okay.”

“No, I mean I _love_ dogs. They’re just so cute and adorable and happy.”

As Lena watches Kara, she can’t help but make the comparison between Kara’s words and the girl herself.

“Alex and Maggie, I think I mentioned them, my sister and her girlfriend,” Kara continues. “Are thinking about getting a dog in a few months and I’m so excited because that means I’ll basically have a dog too. Alex wants to name it ‘Gertrude’ which I think is a pretty silly name for a dog and Maggie agrees but she’s so in love with Alex that I’m sure she’ll end up agreeing. What about you? Do you like dogs? Or are you more of a cat person?”

Lena laughs. “That was a lot of information all in one go.”

Kara looks sheepish as she blushes. “I just like dogs, okay?”

Lena smiles. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” She pauses, thinks about Kara’s question. It’s not something she’s ever really considered, the Luthor’s were never pet people and if they had had a pet, she would’ve never seen it anyway, always away at school. But… “Dogs are cute, but I think I’m more of a cat person. Dogs require a lot of attention and I don’t have the time. But a cat...” Lena hums in thought. “Maybe I could get a cat when I move to the city.”

“Yes, do it, cats are the best too! We had a cat named Streaky when I was growing up and he was awesome!”

“You’re very enthusiastic about animals.”

“Duh. Because they’re great.”

Lena laughs again, Mike all but forgotten for the moment. “I can’t argue with that.”

“I have to get back to work,” Kara says after a moment, a pout on her lips. It is really not fair how cute she always manages to look. But Lena supposes that’s just Kara, pout or not, she’s pretty adorable. “Will you still be here at lunch time?”

Lena thinks about what she has to get back to at home. Nothing. Even the word ‘home’ doesn’t sound right when thinking about the Luthor Mansion, even though she’s lived there on and off since she was four. The only thing that’s there is her mother, who will no doubt want to talk wedding stuff and ask her if she’s spoken to Mike yet.

That can wait until later.

“I have this to finish,” Lena says, gesturing to the book on the table. It’s the first time in a long time she’s been able to just relax and read and she’s really quite enjoying it, made even better by the easy atmosphere of the café. With each passing day, she’s worrying less and less about being recognised.

Kara beams. “Perfect.”

Lena watches her leave, watches her smile at her parents before she starts clearing tables. She watches for a moment longer than she should, before she turns her attention back to her book.

But every now and then she looks up, catches Kara’s eye across the café. Every time, without fail, Kara pulls a face, which turns into a big smile when Lena just shakes her head. Lena’s sure that even across the room, Kara can see the smile she’s trying to suppress too.

Kara’s disappears into the back room for a while and Lena gets absorbed into her book, so absorbed that she doesn’t realise someone is beside her until they speak.

“Lena, sweetie, Kara sent me over to get your lunch order, she’s in the back doing dishes but she’ll be on lunch break soon.” 

She looks up to see Eliza standing beside her, smiling at her like no one ever has, not anyone who knows her name. And Eliza does, she just said her name. Kara must have told her, but there’s no hate, no vitriol in her gaze, just warmth.

It takes a moment for Lena to fully register the whole sentence, and for some reason, one part sticks out in her mind. “I bet Kara’s enjoying that.”

Eliza laughs. “I’m guessing she told you how much she hates dishes?”

“She may have mentioned it,” Lena says with a laugh of her own. She sees Eliza’s expectant gaze and remembers why she’s actually talking to her in the first place. “Ah… I’ll have a chicken sandwich please?” Lena asks, remembering seeing one the other day that looked quite appetizing.

“One chicken sandwich,” Eliza smiles. She knows Eliza and Kara technically aren’t related, but she can see part of Kara’s smile in Eliza’s.

“How much is that?” Lena asks, already pulling money from her pocket.

“Don’t worry about it,” Eliza waves her off. She sees where Kara gets this from too.

“Please, I insist,” Lena tries again. This family is too nice to her, she doesn’t deserve it. And she can definitely afford it.

“I mean it,” Eliza says and Lena stops when a warm hand falls on hers. “It’s nice that you’ve been keeping Kara company, she doesn’t make friends easily and all of hers are away this summer. It’s nice seeing her smiling so much.”

Kara, doesn’t make friends easily? That doesn’t seem right, Kara’s the friendliest person she’s ever met. But that’s a thought for later, one when warm eyes aren’t on her. 

“Thank you,” Lena says instead, deciding not to argue the point. She’ll just leave an extra big tip again.

She goes back to her book, only looking back up again when the seat opposite her moves and she’s greeted with another warm smile.

“My mom likes you,” Kara says as she takes a seat. “She told me you’re sweet. And she told me to tell you you’re not allowed to leave another tip like last time.”

Why does Lena suddenly feel like crying? A simple word from a woman she barely knows shouldn’t make her feel like this. “I promise no such thing,” Lena says to distract herself. It works, only because she gets distracted by the fond shake of Kara’s head instead.

“Good choice, these are delicious,” Kara says as she pushes a sandwich towards Lena.

Lena must admit, it does look good. But she also enjoys teasing Kara. “It really is all about food with you, isn’t it?”

“I’ve won the annual hotdog eating contest at the Midvale fair three years running so yes it is, food is amazing.”

Lena grins, imagining Kara stuffing her face with as many hotdogs as she can. It should be gross but it’s really not. “So my turn for a fact then?”

They exchange facts, back and forth, as they eat lunch. Lena laughs as she imagines a younger Kara, her sister’s love of science resulting in Kara covered in vinegar after a science experiment went wrong. And then Lena’s blushing as she reveals her favourite colour is yellow, which got her in a lot of trouble as an eight year old when she painted her room yellow without Lillian’s knowledge.

Little by little, she opens up to Kara and Kara to her, each fact giving her a little bit more insight into the girl across from her, making her like her more and more with each passing minute.

Lunch goes by and she stays, she stays because at the end of lunch, Kara asks her too, because at the end she looks so hopeful that Lena doesn’t say no, couldn’t even if she wanted to.

It’s getting close to dinner time when she realises she should probably leave, she can avoid Lillian all day but she’s sure her mother would come looking for her if she didn’t turn up to dinner. It’s a big house but not that big.

Lena gathers her book and hoodie, that she still insists on wearing to and from the café despite the heat.

Kara meets her halfway across the room. 

“Do you have to go?”

“Yeah, mother will be wondering where I am.”

“I’ll walk you home?”

Lena shakes her head. “Don’t you have work?” Lena’s pretty sure she already knows the answer.

“My parents won’t care.”

“Kara, really, it’s fine, it’s not far. It’s still light out and I’ve been walking home everyday by myself.”

Kara ducks her head. “I know. But I’m enjoying spending time with you, and I don’t want it to end.” She bites her lip, and it’s entirely distracting. “Is that weird? That’s weird, right? Never mind-“

Lena cuts her off. “As long as your parents don’t need you, you can walk me home.”

Lena feels awkward as she stands and watches Kara walk over to the counter and have a hushed conversation to her parents, until they both turn around and give Lena a smile and a wave.

“See, it’s fine,” Kara says as she pulls off her apron and tosses it back at her dad where it hits him square in the face.

Lena wishes, with just this little glimpse of this family, that her family was like this, that they had this easy-going dynamic, that her family had this clear love between them too. No one looks at the Luthor’s and thinks family, they think money, power, success, and now _Lex_. But one look at the Danvers family, and all Lena can think is that they clearly love each other, that they’re clearly a family.

This is what Lena wants, and what she’s going to get, in less than two weeks, is a family of her own, a husband. The difference is, she doesn’t want him, she knows together, they’ll be nothing like this family is.

“Your dad just gave you the afternoon off, and you repay him by throwing things at him?”

“Exactly, you should learn to respect your elders,” Jeremiah says, Lena not realising she’d spoken loud enough to be her, her cheeks going red.

“I love you too,” Kara calls over her shoulder, pushing Lena out the door as she laughs.

“Thank you,” Lena smiles as they head in the direction of her house. It’s not far even though it’s on the edge of town but the walk is already much nicer with Kara by her side, the sun slipping lower towards the horizon, still with enough heat to keep them warm.

“Can I ask you something?” Lena asks as they walk, Eliza’s words early still not fitting with the picture she’s forming in her head of Kara, the girl who’s happily chatting as they walk side by side.

“Sure,” Kara says, glancing at her curiously before her eye fall back to the route in front of them.

“Your mom said something-“

Kara’s groan cuts her off mid sentence. “She told you something embarrassing about me, didn’t she? Why are mothers so good at that? What did she say? Or wait, do I even want to know?”

“It wasn’t something embarrassing,” Lena assures, their pace slowing down as Kara turns to watch her fully. “It was just something I was curious about.” She pauses, is she even allowed to ask this? But with Kara watching her expectantly, she decides she wants to know the answer. She wants to know everything about Kara. “Your mom said that you don’t make friends easily, and I, just,” Lena waves her hand, pointing between the two of them. “That doesn’t seem true, you’re like the friendliest person I’ve ever met.”

Kara blushes, glancing away. She adjusts her glasses, definitely a nervous tick. Lena should’ve just left the thought alone.

“My parents died not long before I started my second year of high school, which meant I had to change schools, change everything, that year. So I was the new adopted kid that no one wanted to be friends with. I had Alex, and that was enough, but high school was pretty lonely. I have more friends now, Winn and James who I met at college, and then there’s Lucy too, and of course Alex and Maggie, so I _do_ have friends, they’re just not around this summer. Eliza told me she was glad to see me happy again, I’d been a bit down with all my friends away this summer.”

Kara looks sad, Lena hates to see her sad.

“I’m sorry for prying.”

Kara smiles, gently knocks her side. “We’re friends, you’re allowed to pry. And now I have you, so I’m not sad anymore.” Kara’s look turns more thoughtful. “Eliza was right though, I don’t make friends easily, I’m quite a private person, I keep everything here.” She places her hand on her chest. “But with you,” she shrugs. “It’s easy with you.”

Lena thinks easy is a good word to describe how it feels to be around Kara, to interact with her, to open up to her. Easy and freeing and wonderful.

Lena smiles, loops her arms through Kara’s as they start walking again. It’s a bold move, for Lena anyway, she doesn’t do physical touch and she doesn’t open up easily either but she’s never met anyone quite like Kara. “Well, us adopted kids have to stick together, right?”

Kara laughs, soft and bright and beautiful. “Yes we do.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Kara asks as they walk. Their arms are still linked and it’s making it hard for Lena to focus on anything but Kara’s warmth at her side. “Because if you’re free, we should do something.”

Kara words gain her attention, her mind going to everything she’s been avoiding, the responsibilities she’s been shirking to spend time with Kara.

“I…I’m not sure yet.”

“Is this about that text you received earlier?”

Lena turns to look at Kara. How could she know? Clearly the question is evident on her face or she actually voices it out loud because Kara answers.

“You got a look on your face when you got the text, the same look that’s on your face now.” Kara uses their still joined arms to pull them to a stop. They’re still a few blocks from her place, which is probably a good thing, she’s not sure what Lillian would say if she saw her out here with Kara. “Do you want to talk about it?” Kara asks, looking so genuine and concerned it actually hurts. “We’re friends, remember? You can talk to me about anything.”

A lie is on the tip of her tongue, a brush off, something that’ll push Kara away, not let her in any further than she has already. And she has let her in, much further than anyone else has ever gotten and they’ve only known each other a few days. 

But then her mind asks, what if? What if she lets someone in, would that be so bad?

What if she lets Kara in? That doesn’t sound like a bad thing at all.

And maybe it’d be good, to have someone to talk to about this, it’s not a small thing she’s decided to do. It’s healthy to talk about your feelings, right?

It may be healthy, but that also sounds terrifying.

But Kara is watching her, gaze soft, blue eyes shining with concern and Lena speaks, not evening know which way she is going to go, a brush off, or the truth, until she’s talking.

“His name is Mike.”

Kara doesn’t say anything, just waits patiently for her to continue.

“And-“ She stops herself. “Maybe I should start at the beginning.”

“The beginning is a good place to start,” Kara encourages.

“Remember how I told you I was starting a new job in a couple weeks?” Lena asks. Kara nods, giving no indication that she thought the sudden change in conversation was odd. “Well, I’m not just starting a new job, I’m going to work at my family’s business. And not just work there, I’m _taking over_ it, I’m going to be the new CEO of Luthor Corp.”

Kara’s mouth drops open. “You’re going to be a CEO?”

“Yeah.” She feels embarrassed under Kara’s impressed gaze, feels her cheeks going red.

“No need to blush,” Kara teases, which only makes her blush more. “That’s incredible. _You’re_ incredible. A CEO, at twenty, that’s amazing.”

“I’ll be twenty-one when I start,” Lena points out, one more part of her story she wants to tell Kara.

“You told me…” Kara starts, trailing off, Lena can practically see her mind turning. “It’s soon, right, your birthday? You said next week?”

“Next week,” she confirms. “Next Saturday to be exact, then I start work the Monday after.”

“Lena, that’s so exciting!”

Lena lets out a huff of breath, meant to be a laugh but it sounds so much sadder.

Kara sobers, must remember where this conversation started, and that Lena didn’t seem happy about it. “Do you want to be CEO?” Kara asks, picking up on the wrong thread of the conversation, not that Lena blames her, Lena wouldn’t connect a new job to anything but excitement, and she certainly wouldn’t connect it to an arranged marriage.

“No I do, I really _really_ do. It’s all I want.” Her rebellious mind whispers that she wants something else now too, wants the girl standing in front of her. She ignores it. “I know I can do so much good with all that money, all those resources, much better than my father or Lex ever did. I have so many ideas and I can’t wait to take over, I’d start today if I could.” If she could start today, she’d definitely miss the café she’s just discovered and the friend she’s somehow managed to make despite zero experience in that area.

She has no experience running a company either but she already feels more prepared for it than this friendship.

Kara smiles. “I told you you’re incredible.” Kara’s smile drops again, into something more thoughtful. “But that doesn’t explain why you looked so sad before.”

Lena hopes what she’s about to say doesn’t change Kara’s opinion of her.

“When my father started the business, he wrote some laws into the company, laws that can’t be changed, not until I’m inside and have established myself as CEO. It’s in my contract, I can’t become the CEO if I’m not married.”

“Married?”

Lena swallows thickly as she nods. “No woman can be CEO if they’re not married. I have until next Monday to get married or else I can’t take up the position and the board gets to appoint a new CEO. I’m getting married on my birthday.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Kara frowns, a crinkle in the middle of her eyebrows which is adorable and Lena wishes she could focus on it more, but she can’t, not with the topic at hand.

“The age doesn’t matter, the board just set that date to give me a deadline, but they’re choosing to uphold the marriage clause. They don’t want me to run the company or else they could just change it, but they wrote it in originally so that a woman would always have a man by her side. I assume they think the man controls the woman in a relationship, they’re all sexist and misogynistic and-“ Lena pauses, takes a breath, there’s no point in getting worked up over this.

“Can you not get it changed?”

Lena’s tried. “No, not with the amount of money the board has, they stopped every attempt I made to change it. We have money too, obviously, but nothing I tried worked. So I have two choices, get married and take over Luthor Corp, or don’t, and lose my company.”

“Mike?”

Lena shuts her eyes for a moment, takes a deep breath before she opens them. “My fiancé.”

“Oh,” Kara says. Lena wishes she could tell what Kara was thinking. “But you don’t love him?”

Lena lets out a small laugh. “I don’t even _like_ him.”

“Then why-“

“My company,” Lena answers, knowing what Kara’s going to ask, the only reason this will all be worth it in the end. “I could do so much good, help so many people, and if I have to marry Mike to do it, then I’m just going to have to live with that. It’d be selfish of me to give up the company that could help so many people, just for one small inconvenience like marriage.”

“Why him? Why not someone you actually like?” Kara asks.

“Because he’s the only one that my mother could convince, the only one who would touch our last name after Lex.”

“I’m sorry.” A hand lands on her arm, soft and firm and somehow grounding. For whatever reason, after all she’s just said, it’s the warm hand on hers that has tears springing to her eyes.

Lena wipes at her eyes with her free hand. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but you’re sad, and I don’t like seeing you sad. And it’s not fair, you shouldn’t be forced into something you don’t want to do.”

Lena shrugs, she’s accepted this already, the only thing now that’s making her regret her decision is the sad blue eyes looking at her.

“Well, when we’re both in National City, if you ever want to talk or hang out or take a break, I’ll be there. We’re friends now, okay?”

Just for a moment, Lena allows herself to rest her hand over Kara’s, soaks up all the goodness Kara has brought to her life in just a few short days. “Thank you.” She steps back, feels awkward after just opening up to someone. She’s really not used to this. “I’ll text you, if I’m free tomorrow?” She can’t look Kara in the eye.

Kara nods. “Thank you, for telling me all this.”

Lena laughs awkwardly. “Thanks for listening. I should,” Lena nods her head in the direction of her house. “I don’t want my mother to see you or there will no doubt be questions about where I’ve been.”

“She doesn’t know you’ve been out?”

Lena shakes her head. “No, and she wouldn’t like it, not with my future to focus on.” She sighs. “I hope I can see you tomorrow.”

Kara smiles. “Me too.”

“Wait, don’t you have work tomorrow?”

Kara grins. “Eliza’s happy I’ve made a friend, which I’m sure I can use to my advantage to get out of work.”

Lena laughs, carefree and happy. Kara always makes her feel like this.

They say their goodbyes and part, Lena somehow feeling more light about her decision yet somehow even more burdened. It feels more real, to tell someone, but it had been nice to share it with someone in the first place.

Lena sneaks back into her house, the route well practiced by now. She can feel it, as she heads towards her bedroom, the weight of this place seeping into her, her shoulders sagging as she passes portraits of her ancestors, statues her father bought that he no doubt thought looked impressive. This place is all a show of wealth, even if no one gets to see it anymore.

The wedding will be here, but Lena doubts Lillian will let guests this far into the house, the main hall and garden both the focus of the wedding. This house is definitely too big for just the two of them, it was way too big when the rest of her family lived her too.

Lena shakes herself, this is no time to think about the past, no time to think about the family she lost, there’s too much to think about in the present, too much to think about in the future. 

She quickly gets changed, ignores the dread settling in her stomach as she heads to the dining room for dinner.

“I’m surprised you’re honouring me with your presence tonight, I thought you were avoiding me today.” Lillian says as soon as she enters the room.

Lena sighs, she’s not in the mood for this. “Aren’t I allowed some time to myself for these last few days before you have me married off.”

“Lena, you know-“

“I know, it’s not your fault.” It’s not, Lillian did try and get the contracts changed, tried to help her, despite everything, her mother did try and help. Even if they don’t always see eye to eye and even if Lena wasn’t her favourite child, Lillian knows she’s capable of running a company on her own.

Even so, Lena also knows that Lillian is rather thrilled by the concept of her getting married, carrying on the Luthor name and the Luthor line. Marrying Mike Matthews is a great opportunity of her and her family.

“But can’t I just have some time alone before everything changes, before I get married and have to move and have no time because I’m running a company?”

“It’s the perfect time for me to tell you I’m going away tomorrow then.”

Lena tries not to look to happy about the sudden thought. “You’re going away?”

“Don’t look too excited, it’s just for the night,” Lillian says. Lena presses her lips together, clearly not doing so well at hiding her feelings. “I have to head to Metropolis tomorrow, I’ll be gone twenty-four hours or so. When I get back, you have another dress fitting and the caterers are…”

Lena tunes out the rest of the conversation, tunes out Lillian’s voice and all thoughts of her upcoming wedding to instead think of what twenty-four hours of freedom means. Sure, she’s fairly free at the moment, to an extent anyway, but now, she’s not going to have to hide in her own home, she’s not going to have to sneak out, she’s not going to have to worry about being seen by anyone. Sure, the staff are around, but when Lillian isn’t around, most of them relax and don’t do much work either, she leaves the staff alone and they leave her alone and it’s perfect.

And then there’s Kara, and her question about her plans for tomorrow. Lena’s no longer going to have to come up with some excuse to get out of seeing Mike, she can text Kara and tell her she’s free, tell her they can spend the day together, doing whatever they want, outside of the walls of the café. Which is a little scary, because most of their friendship has taken place within those four walls.

It’s scary, but also a little exciting too.

As Lillian drones on, with plans she should probably be listening to, she makes plans of her own. Because what if she were to invite Kara over here? That’s not weird, right? People invite their friends over all the time, don’t they? Or at least that’s what Lena’s limited knowledge of social behaviour tells her anyway.

Maybe she should do some research on the subject, to better prepare herself for this unexpected turn of events. She was expecting to turn twenty-one, expecting to gain a husband and a company, but, not in a million years, could she have imagined meeting anyone like Kara.

_Imagine having a friend._

Lena hears Mike’s name mentioned one too many and tunes back into the conversation.

“Have you hear from him yet?”

“Not yet,” Lena lies.

“Have you texted him yet?”

“A woman should never make the first move.”

Lillian rolls her eyes. “Don’t make excuses and message him, I’ll give him your number if you don’t have it, we don’t want him to think you’re not interested, do we?”

“I’m pretty sure neither of us entered into this arrangement because we’re interested in each other, Mother.”

“You will text him and arrange another lunch or dinner, don’t you want to get to know your future husband?”

The word ‘no’ sits in Lena’s mouth but she holds it back, bites her tongue, like she does so often.

“I know it’s not an ideal situation but I’m sure you’ll come to love him, in time.”

Lena only manages to stop from scoffing at the idea, that’s definitely never going to happen.

“I’ll text him, see when he’s free, okay?” Lena says. She considers pulling her phone out now, texting Kara instead of Mike, but she’s sure her smile will give her away.

So she waits, waits through the small talk at dinner, waits through their meal, waits until it’s socially acceptable for her to return to her room.

Only once she’s hidden away, the door locked behind her, does she feel herself relaxing again. And then she’s smiling as she pulls out her phone, open Kara’s contact on her phone, sees the smiley face beside her name. Lena debates for a moment on what to send, before she pushes all her fears down and just asks Kara what she wants to.

**How would you feel about seeing the Luthor Mansion tomorrow?**

**Really?????**

Lena’s not sure why one person needs to add so many question marks to one question but, even with just the one word, this text somehow _feels_ like Kara.

**Yes, my mother is going out of town tomorrow so I have free reign over the house for the night so if you’d like a tour, now’s your chance.**

**YES PLEASE**

The text is followed by multiple emojis, some smiley faces, some hearts and some smiley faces with hearts for eyes, which Lena doesn’t totally get but they make her smile regardless.

**Come over after work?**

Kara’s already said yes but the text still makes her nervous, taps the side of her phone anxiously before another message comes through.

**I can get out of work, remember?**

More emojis follow the message, and these ones Lena definitely doesn’t understand.

**I don’t think Eliza or Jeremiah would appreciate losing a staff member.**

Lena can almost imagine the pout through the phone as she waits for Kara to answer.

**Fiiiinnnnneeeeeee. I’ll come over after four?**

Lena pushes down the giddy feeling the rises in her chest as she replies.

**Perfect.**

But then she can’t hold it in anymore as she flops backwards onto her bed, a ridiculously large smile on her face. Inviting a friend over shouldn’t make her feel this good but it does. Is this what she’s been missing out on all these years? At least she has one friend now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

Lena listens to the sounds of the house from her bedroom, listens to the movements of the staff, listens to the birds outside, listens for any sounds of Lillian before she ventures out of her room. She’s not sure what time exactly her mother is leaving this morning but she’s specifically hid in her room long after she woke up, long enough to panic and calm herself down about Kara’s visit this afternoon, long enough to panic again about what she’s going to do once Kara arrives, long enough that the house sounds quiet, Lillian hopefully already gone to the city.

It’s almost lunch time before she goes downstairs, before she finds that Lillian has in fact left already. Relief washes over her, she didn’t need to see Lillian this morning, didn’t want her to ruin her good mood.

Breakfast is made and served as soon as she sits down and Lena can feel, even with the staff, how much more relaxed everyone is without Lillian’s presence.

Lena loves her mother, despite everything, but it’s a shame she’s only gone for one night.

And then she has the whole day to kill, waiting for Kara. Maybe she _should_ have told her to just skip work and come over earlier.

The house is already clean and tidy, so she doesn’t have to worry about Kara seeing it. So is her room, even if she’s nervous if Kara does see it. It’s plain and boring but thinking about those adjectives, Lena thinks it fits her personality quite well.

She is nervous for Kara to see her house though, she where she grew up, see another part of her that no one else has seen. It’s daunting, sharing so much with another person and not knowing how they’re going to react.

The day ticks by slowly and Lena uses it to go over Luthor Corp’s reports, look at their current business plan and what changes she plans to make. Her first idea is rebranding the company, giving it a new look for the new direction of the company. Time passes quickly as she gets more and more excited about her plans, sees all her ideas unfolding before her. She just hopes she can implement at least some of them.

It’s almost four when Lena next looks at the time and that suddenly sends her into a panic. 

_Kara will be here soon._

It was all well and good thinking about that happening in the future, thinking about seeing her new friend, but now it’s almost time for Kara to arrive and her room is now a mess with scattered papers and she’s wearing an old t-shirt and shorts that Lillian would hate to see her wearing.

She’s not ready and there’s not enough time.

Lena scrambles around her room, organising the papers into some sort of quick order before tucking them all away into her desk.

Next, she has to decide what to wear, and it’s not like she’s trying to impress Kara, but she at least wants to look good.

After three outfit changes and a lot of shaking her own head at how ridiculous she’s being, Lena settles on a pair of dark coloured shorts and a tank top with a loose fitting linen shirt over the top, sleeves rolled up.

Then it’s onto her hair, which she tries braided, pulled back into a ponytail and in a messy bun before she lets it just fall free around her shoulders.

She takes a few calming breaths as she looks at the time, sees it’s after four, knows Kara will be here soon. She’s really is being ridiculous, this is just Kara, she’s not going to care what she’s wearing, not going to care what her hair looks like, Kara’s most likely going to be more interested in seeing the house itself, in the pizza Lena has asked the chef to make her for dinner as a surprise.

Lena’s halfway down the stairs when the doorbell rings. She picks up speed, ending up taking the stairs two at a time as she hits the ground floor. 

She sees Robert approaching the door to answer it but she hurries across the tiled floor, waving him off. He gives her a look, eyebrow raised, clearly surprised and intrigued and a little bit amused, but Lena ignores it.

By the time she pulls the door open, it’s with too much enthusiasm and her breathing is laboured. She blushes when she catches Kara’s surprised look, which quickly morphs into a grin.

“You okay there?” Kara asks, now looking amused herself. She’s clearly changed her outfit between working and coming here, gone is her usual outfit, now replaced by her own shorts and tank top. Lena’s not a particular fan of the warm weather, much prefers bundling up in warm clothes, feeling safe and surrounded when it’s cold. Which is why she’s always pale year round, avoiding the sun where she can.

But Kara must get outside a lot on her free time, Lena hadn’t noticed, until now, how tan Kara’s skin actually is. And now she can’t stop noticing, her toned arms on full display, there’s definitely some power in Kara’s arms and Lena suddenly wants to be wrapped in them, held up by them, _touched_ by them…

Right now, she loves summer, loves the warm weather that’s lead to a tanned Kara in front of her, loves her parents decision to reside in Midvale.

Those are not good thoughts to be having, or they are, very good thoughts, but not when Kara is watching her curiously, not when she’s just staring at Kara, not saying anything.

“I’m good,” Lena says, or it’s closer to a squeak, her cheeks going even more red. “Ah…come in,” Lena says, opening the door wider. Despite her already making a fool of herself, despite her previous thoughts, she suddenly feels calmer, with Kara here. It’s such a strange feeling, she didn’t know a person _could_ make her feel like this.

Kara makes her feel a lot of new things.

She pushes everything down, it’s not fair to her, or to Kara, to be having these thoughts, these feelings.

“Oh my God.”

Kara’s words grab her attention, and she turns from closing the door to find Kara looking around the large entranceway with a look of awe on her face.

Right, she supposes this house _is_ pretty impressive. It does hold the name _‘mansion’_ after all.

“Uhh…this is my home,” Lena says, gesturing around the room, to the grand staircase, to the chandelier above them, to the many door around them. She still ignores Robert, who’s watching them with undisguised interest.

She knows him well enough that he won’t say anything to Lillian.

“This is…wow, I mean I knew it was going to be impressive, but _wow_.”

Kara tilts her head back to look at the ceiling, spinning as she does. Lena pauses for a minute, takes in the sharp line of Kara’s jaw, the slope of her neck, all the exposed skin across her chest.

God, she’s too gay for this.

“Would you like a tour?” Lena asks, needing a distraction, something, anything, to pull her thoughts from Kara.

Blue eyes light up as they fall on Lena. “Yes please.”

Lena laughs at her enthusiasm. “Come on then,” she says, nodding her head towards the first door on the right.

Lena leads her through the house, through the dining room, living room, the second, bigger dining hall, where the wedding reception will be. She shows her the kitchens and leads her out into the garden, shows Kara her favourite place to sit, under a big oak tree, at the back of the garden.

She shows her the second floor, a passing glance at all the room, all the art along the walls, points out the games room and TV room that their father converted when Lex had asked.

Kara’s face is the same the whole way around, pure awe and excitement on her face as they make their way through the house, then up the stairs to the third floor.

There are less rooms on this floor, mostly bedrooms. She points out Lex’s old room, her father’s old study, Lillian’s bedroom, before she gets to her room.

“And this is my room,” Lena says, pointing at the closed door to her room, looking exactly like all the other doors on this floor. She never noticed before, how closed off everything is, even up here, where no guests usually come. It feels cold and impersonal and even more motivation for Lena to leave.

She’s not sure she could’ve handled living here her whole youth, once again, grateful that she got sent away to boarding school.

“Can we?” Kara asks, hand on the door knob, but making no move to open it until Lena nods.

“That’s a huge bed,” Kara says, the first thing she says as she opens the door.

Lena laughs, she supposes it is. 

“And this is one huge room. Alex and I shared a pretty big room growing up but even that was smaller than this.”

Lena wonders what that would’ve been like, having to share a room with a sibling. She’s glad she didn’t have to share with Lex, once again jealous of the close relationship between Kara and her sister.

Lena watches silently as Kara walks around the room, looks it over. There’s not much to see. She stops when she sees a photo in a frame sitting on her desk, the only photo she has on display. Kara picks it up, turns around to show Lena.

“This is you?” Kara asks, eyes falling back to the frame after Lena nods. It’s a photo of her and Lex, one from when they were much younger, Lena sitting in Lex’s lap at some dinner party. She was about six at the time, Lena doesn’t remember what the party was for, doesn’t even remember the photo itself being taken, but Lex had given her the photo as a gift when she’d left for her first boarding.

Lena loves this photo, they both look happy.

So much has changed since then.

“You were a cute kid,” Kara teases.

Lena takes the photo from her hand, rolling her eyes as she puts it back where it belongs. “Are you saying I’m not cute now?”

Kara blushes, Lena realises too late that her words sounded almost flirtatious. “I never said that, you’re definitely still cute.” Kara can’t meet her eyes as she speaks and Lena’s almost glad that Kara can’t see her blush too.

But she regrets her words, because now things feel suddenly awkward.

“Come look at this view,” Lena says instead, to change the conversation from where it’s heading into dangerous territory.

Kara looks relieved by the change in topic and Lena tries not to read too much into it.

The best part about this room, Lena thinks, is the view. She has a view over the entire garden, the town just passed it, and then off to the right, you can see the beach, the ocean looking amazingly blue, even more beautiful at sunset. This is the only thing Lena misses about this house when she’s not here.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” Kara says as they step out onto the balcony, eyes bright as she takes in the view.

She looks beautiful, lit by the bright summer sun, looking like she’s almost glowing, her hair shining in the sun.

It’s totally cliché and Lena hates herself a little for it but as she answers, even though she’s looking out at the view in front of them, her mind is on Kara.

“Yeah,” she breathes. “It is.”

 _Don’t forget about Mike,_ her mind tells her.

Like she could.

“I have a surprise for you,” Lena says after a long moment.

“A surprise?”

Bright eyes land on her, giddy with excitement and Lena grins. “Yeah. How do you feel about pizza? I’ve asked the chef to make us some specially.” She pauses. “If you can stay for dinner, that is.”

“I’m definitely staying for dinner.”

“Good, because Frances makes the absolute best pizza I’ve ever tasted.”

Kara’s clutches her hand to her chest in a dramatic fashion, in a so very Kara way that Lena’s heart melts a little. “You definitely know the way to a woman’s heart.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just your heart, I’m not sure anyone likes food as much as you, or eats as much as you either.”

Kara grins. “You know me so well.”

“Literally every time we’ve hung out, you’ve been eating.”

Kara laughs. “It’s not my fault food tastes amazing.”

“Come on,” Lena laughs as she links her arm through Kara’s, pulls her back inside. “Are you hungry now?”

“Duh, always.”

The table has already been set for them, set for _two._ And not at either ends of the table, like her and Lillian usually eat, but side by side, various drinks and cups, plates and cutlery all spread out before them.

Lena’s used to all of this, but Kara clearly isn’t.

“Marry me,” Kara says, mouth open, gawking, once more.

“You wish,” Lena laughs.

_If only._

Garlic bread and chips are served not long after they sit, and Lena didn’t ask for this but she definitely appreciates it as Kara wolfs down several pieces of garlic bread and a plate of chips right before Lena’s eyes.

“You won’t want any pizza if you keep eating like that.”

“That’s what my second stomach is for,” Kara jokes around a mouthful. Lena’s not sure where Kara puts it all, only that, looking at Kara’s slim but toned form, she must go to the gym if she can eat all of this and still look as good as she does.

The pizzas are brought out not long later, Lena’s mouth practically watering as the scent hits her nose. This had been a treat, occasionally, when they were kids and whenever Lillian was away, she definitely wouldn’t like her daughter to be eating all of this, especially with a wedding dress to fit into soon.

Lena couldn’t care less.

“Oh my God, this is delicious,” Kara mumbles around another mouthful, crumbs falling and sticking to her shirt as she does.

How she finds that endearing and not disgusting is beyond Lena.

They eat and talk and Lena’s pretty sure this is the most fun she’s ever had in this house, the most fun she’s ever had at dinner, joking with Kara and feeling more relaxed than she has in a while.

She can feel dinner winding down, can feel their time together coming to an end.

But Lena’s not quite ready for that to happen yet, not ready for their night to be over.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Lena asks. People invite friends over to watch movies, right?

Kara nods, mouth open to speak but Lena beats her to it.

“And before you ask, we can have snacks,” Lena teases, laughing at the way Kara blushes.

“That’s not what I was going to ask.”

“It wasn’t?” Lena asks, eyebrow raised. Lena’s mastered that move, something she picked up from Lillian.

Kara rolls her eyes. “I’m starting to rethink this friendship, if you’re just going to tease me all the time.”

Lena freezes, just for a moment, before she sees the teasing glint in Kara’s eyes and she feels herself relaxing again. It’d be just like her to ruin the only good thing she has going on in her life right now. “We’re friends, you’re stuck with me now.”

Kara smiles, her whole face softening. “Good.”

Lena leads Kara back upstairs to the TV room and just for a moment she imagines a different life, one where this is just an ordinary summer night where she gets to spend time with her friend, a night that’s not clouded by the future or the limited time she has to spend with Kara in Midvale.

She pushes away all the thoughts of the future, and just lets herself enjoy this moment for what it is, a fun evening she gets to spend with Kara.

“Oh my God,” Kara says as they enter the TV room, something she’s said a few times already this evening. Lena supposes her house does warrant some sense of awe. “You called this place a TV room, you didn’t say you had a literal movie theatre in your house!”

There are a few couches lined up on one side of the room while the opposite side is filled with a giant screen. She thinks Kara may be pushing it calling this room a movie theatre, but it’s probably more than the ‘TV room’ she’d called it too.

Kara flops down on to one of the couches, sighing as she sinks into it. “If I lived here, I would literally never leave this room, except to get food.”

“The staff will bring us food, if I ask.”

Kara’s mouth drops open again. “Why did you even come to the café if you could literally have anything you want here?”

“Mike.”

The one name sobers Kara. “Right.” Kara’s eyes dart away. “Sorry.”

“Plus,” Lena says. “I made a new friend.”

“I get it,” Kara says, taking the out of the conversation that Lena is offering, probably sensing that Lena doesn’t want to talk about Mike either. “I’m irresistible.”

“You’re a dork is what you are,” Lena says, gesturing for Kara to sit up properly so Lena can take the seat beside her.

Kara tucks her legs up under her, Lena sitting just close enough beside her that they’re not touching, but she’s sure she can feel the warmth emanating from the girl beside her.

“So, what do you want to watch?”

The question stumps Lena, she’s never really had time for movies before, never seen the point in spending her limited free time watching them. “We have pretty much every movie you can think of, take your pick.”

“What’s your favourite movie?”

Lena should’ve seen the question coming, should’ve prepared an answer when she first suggested watching a movie. Oh well, might as well be honest. “I don’t really have one.”

“Have you seen The Princess Bride?”

Seen it, Lena’s never even heard of it. She shakes her head. “No.”

Kara’s whole face lights up. “This is perfect!” she exclaims. “Do you have it? Because if you do, we should totally watch it. It’s amazing, I know you’re going to love it.”

Lena flicks through the list of movies, thankfully finding it. “What’s it about?”

“There’s a princess and pirates and a giant and swordfights and there’s the fire swamp and ‘as you wish’ and I can’t even explain it, we just have to watch it.”

“It sounds…” Lena’s not even sure what it sounds like, but Kara seems to be excited about watching it so Lena lets that enthusiasm infect her. “Great.”

“Yes.” Kara claps her hands together. “Get ready for one of the best movies of all time.”

Lena calls the kitchen and asks them to bring up some popcorn (Kara looks unreasonably excited by the prospect of more food) and then she presses play, settles in to probably be bored, at least based on the description Kara had given her.

Lena is not bored, she’s not bored at all. In fact, she’s so enraptured by the film, she misses that way Kara spends more time watching her than watching the screen itself.

Lena’s only seen a few movies, but by the end, she’s firmly decided that this is her new favourite one.

“I must admit, I was a little skeptical at the beginning but I thoroughly enjoyed that.”

“Yeah?” Kara asks.

“Definitely. You’re going to have to make a list of movies I should watch because I suddenly feel like I’ve been missing out.” Just another thing her Luthor upbringing has deprived her of.

She can’t really complain, she’s got the best education that money could by, she was never left hungry or never had to worry about money, she’s got what a lot of people want, money.

But, as she’s learnt, money isn’t everything, money can’t buy happiness.

But, right now, she’s getting a bit of what she missed out on, friendship and good movies and having fun.

“I have so many good ones to show you! When we’re both in National City we could even watch some together?” Kara asks, suddenly uncertain. They’ve kind of mentioned this, seeing each other in the future, but this is more than the vague idea of it, this is planning something almost solid, this is takin this friendship beyond the confines of this small town and building it into something bigger, something more real and concrete.

“I’d love nothing more.”

“Are you going to miss it here?” Kara asks, gesturing to the space around them. “Not just this place though, this town too?”

Lena shrugs. “It’ll be different living in National City.” The living with Mike part goes unspoken, but Lena’s pretty sure Kara picks up on it too. “But I haven’t lived in this house, in Midvale, long enough to really miss it, long enough to make it a home.” Lena pauses. “I’ll miss you though.”

Kara reaches over the small space between them, rests her hand atop Lena’s. “Well, that’s the beauty of National City,” she grins. “I’ll be there too.”

Lena shifts her own legs up under here, turns to face Kara, their legs brushing as she does.

Kara shivers.

“Shoot, you’re cold, I can turn the air conditioning down if you like?”

Lena reaches out her free hand before she can really consider exactly what she’s doing. Her hand lands on Kara’s bicep, rubs up and down to ward off some of the cold.

Kara’s skin is so warm under her touch, but, worse than that, Lena can feel who toned Kara’s arm really is, feel how firm her arm is, and it’s conjuring up images she really can’t think about right now.

“I-I’m fine,” Kara reassures, although she suddenly doesn’t look fine. “Wait, did you just say shoot?”

“I-“ Lena laughs, dropping her hand. “I guess I did. Which is entirely your fault.”

“I proudly take the blame,” Kara grins, whatever was wrong before, seemingly forgotten.

“Are you sure you’re not too cold?” Only of the only good things about this place is that they do keep it cool during the summer, the air con always keeping away the heat of the summer.

Kara smiles, Lena only realising just how close they’ve become since she turned to face Kara. Right now, the word Lena would use to describe Kara is _‘soft’_.

She looks relaxed, happy, as they sit close. Her eyes are so very blue and gentle, her freckles clearly visible across her cheeks. She has the softest smile Lena’s ever seen and she looks beautiful.

It’s the smile though, that holds Lena’s attention, the smile, that seems to be moving closer. For a moment, she thinks it’s wishful thinking, until she realises that Kara is, in fact, getting closer.

Kara’s leaning towards her and she’s leaning towards Kara and it’s not until she feels the wash of breath over her lips, it’s not until she looks up as Kara’s eyes flutter closed and she realises how bad an idea this would be, how much this _can’t_ happen, no matter how much she wants it to.

No matter how much she wants to forget everything and kiss Kara.

No matter how much she wants to cup Kara’s sharp jaw and just press their lips together.

No matter how much she wants to just take Kara’s hand and run, run, run, until they’re far away from here, until there’s no Luthor Corp, no Mike, no Lillian, just the two of them.

“Kara.” Lena manages to choke out her name, just before their lips press together. Lena knows, she’s sure, that if she were to kiss Kara, it would change everything. She knows, if she kisses Kara’s she’s never going to want to stop. And it’s not fair, to Kara, it’s not fair to her, to have this, just for a moment, only to have it snatched away again.

She’s getting married in just over a week, that she’s certain of, and she can’t let Kara distract her, can’t lead Kara on only to have to end it in a week.

Kara springs backwards across the couch, like she’s been burnt. Her eyes are wide, an even darker blue than before. She looks scared, Lena hates to see her scared. ”I’m so sorry,” Kara starts, eyes steadfastly fixed on Lena. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, you’re getting married, and I almost just ruined everything.”

“Kara,” Lena tries but the name doesn’t even seem to register as Kara continues.

“You just wanted a friend, you have a fiancé for goodness sake and here I am, crossing lines and trying to kiss you.”

“Kara.”

“I am so _so_ very sorry and I promise it won’t happen again. If you even ever want to see me again that is. I should go? Yes, I should go.”

Kara’s up and off the couch before Lena can even register it. She’s fast, and she’s already halfway to the door.

“Kara, wait!” Lena says, standing to follow but she’s already at the door.

“No I’ll, I’ll see you around, okay?” Kara throws over her shoulder, and then she’s gone, before Lena can stop her, before she can do anything. She follows, but it’s too late, Kara got a head start and she’s out the door.

Lena rests her head on the closed front door, tries to blink away the tears that spring to her eyes. God, how could things go from so good to so bad in the space of only five minutes.

“Are you okay, Miss Luthor?” Robert asks, causing Lena to jump as her eyes turn and land on him.

“I’m fine,” Lena snaps, instantly feeling guilty. She wipes a tear the spills over. “I’m fine,” she says, quieter this time. She tries to smile but she knows it’s not very convincing. “I promise.”

It’s a lie, she’s not, and she can’t get the look of Kara’s scared face as she walks all the way up to her room, can’t get the image of Kara leaving from her mind.

Why hadn’t she just kissed Kara, why didn’t she stop her before she could leave, why couldn’t she have just explained to Kara the truth, that Kara did nothing wrong, that Lena had _wanted_ her to kiss her. This is a mess, she doesn’t know the first thing about having friends, let alone what to do when you have a crush on one of them.

But what she does know is she needs to talk to Kara, or at least try to, because Kara is upset, she thinks she’s done something wrong, and she thinks she’s just ruined their friendship.

Lena doesn’t want any of those things.

But she’s also scared, she’s scared she’s going to lose Kara over this, scared that she’s just ruined the best thing she has going on in her life. 

**Please, can we talk? You didn’t do anything wrong, I was going to kiss you to. If anything, I’m the one at fault.**

Lena waits, staring anxiously at her phone, hoping Kara will reply. But there’s no reply. And okay, it’s only been five minutes but time seems to stretch as she stares at her phone. Should she call Kara? Or just give her space.

She decides to just wait, Kara will see the message and she’ll either reply or she won’t. If she chooses not to, then she probably won’t answer a call from Lena anyway.

A knock on her bedroom door startles her. Robert would never tell her mother what happened, but he definitely would tell the other staff. She wonders which one drew the short straw and was made to come and check on her.

“Kara?” Lena’s never been more relieved to see anyone in her life when she opens the door.

“Umm…” Kara swallows, her hand reaching to adjust her glasses on her face. “Robert let me in, can we talk?”

“Please,” Lena gestures to her room. “Come in.” She swallows down her nerves. “I thought you’d gone.”

“As soon as I left I regretted it, I was still outside, debating whether to leave or call you when you texted me. I’m sorry.”

“Please, stop saying that, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

“But-“

“No, I mean it, you have nothing to be sorry for.” She can’t lose Kara, not over something silly like this, which is why, when she opens her mouth again to speak, the truth comes out. “I like you, okay? Like really _really_ like you and I was definitely going to kiss you too. But this can’t happen, I have my company to think about, Mike to think about it, and I don’t want to ruin the friendship we already have or hurt you.”

Kara sighs, smiles sadly. “I like you too.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena says.

“You don’t get to apologise either, none of this is your fault, except for the part where you’re just too wonderful that of course I fell for you, even though I’ve known you for less that a week.’

“Kara-“

“It’s true, and I want you to know. Mike’s a very, very, lucky guy, and I hope he knows it.”

Lena sighs this time. “I wish…” she trails off.

“I know,” Kara smiles softy. “Me too. But we can be friends, okay?”

Lena nods, relief flooding through her. She hasn’t lost Kara. Then what’s the feeling that’s sitting odd in her stomach? “Okay.”

Kara extends her arms out towards Lena. “Come here? Friends can hug, right?”

Lena easily steps into Kara’s arms. Kara had been right yesterday, everything about them feels easy. Even this...she wouldn’t call it a fight, she’s not sure what to call it, maybe a slight misunderstanding? Her mind supplies ‘missed opportunity’ but it’s most definitely _not_ that, because if it is, Lena’s making a big mistake. Whatever it is, they’ve talked, been open and honest, and it’s all okay.

And now she’s melting into Kara’s arms, like they do this all the time. They fit perfectly, almost like it’s where she belongs, as her own arms wrap around Kara’s back, to hold her close.

“Friends can definitely hug,” Lena murmurs, from where her face is pressed into Kara’s neck. “You give really good hugs.”

Kara laughs as she pulls away, but not too far, as close as they were before they almost kissed. Lena has to employ a lot of self control to stop her eyes from dropping to Kara’s lips.

“That’s what Alex says, and a perk of being friends with me is that we can hug anytime you want!” Kara pauses, her face turning more serious. “We’re good, right? I don’t want this to change anything, even though we both…” have feelings for each other. It’s what Kara means, even if she doesn’t say it.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Lena promises. It does, not that Lean’s going to say it out loud, but it makes another future more real in her head, makes the idea _possible_ , a future where she’s not with Mike, not at Luthor Corp, but where she’s with Kara and she’s _happy._

“Good.” Kara drops her arms, takes Lena’s hand in her own. “I’d hate to lose you over something like this, I only just got you.”

“I promise, nothing is going to come between us, we’ll always be friends, no matter what.”

They’ve known each other less than a week, but Lena knows, and she’s not sure how, but she _knows_ that Kara is meant to be in her life, knows she’s important, knows that they’re meant to be together, even if it is only as friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to post this. I'm switching it up a bit with this chapter, it's from Kara's pov, I really wanted to write a bit more about her and her family and what she's feeling.

After they say their goodbyes, and Lena promises to come by the café tomorrow, Kara walks home, taking the long way, trying to clear her head. She sneaks in past her parents, doesn’t need them asking about her evening, she’s not sure she’d make it through saying it was good before she started crying.

It was good,  _ so  _ good, or most of it anyway. Besides the part she’d almost kissed Lena and nearly ruined their entire, albeit new, friendship.

But then they’d talked and sorted things out and they sit firmly in the friends category again, which is fine, it’s all Kara wanted, it’s what she’d expected, especially after Lena telling her she’s getting married.

_ Except Lena had told her she liked her too. _

Kara hadn’t even thought that was a possibility, hadn’t thought there was any chance that she could actually be with Lena, that the other girl could like her too. So she hadn’t entertained the idea, passed it off as a crush, something to push down and pretend wasn’t there.

And then Lena had told her she was getting married and she’d pushed all those thoughts away, focused on just being Lena’s friend.

But now it turns out that Lena likes her too? Her? Lena could have literally anyone she wants, smart, funny, kind,  _ gorgeous,  _ Lena, and she likes her?

By some miracle, Lena actually likes her, and she likes Lena too. They both like each other, and yet they can’t be together. She’s lucky enough to fall for someone who likes her back, and they can’t even have to chance to see if they could be happy together.

And it’s only been a week since that night Lena had walked into the café, but Kara knows, she  _ knows _ they could be happy together.

Even worse than that, Lena is getting married, to some guy named Mike, who’s name even makes her angry.

Lena deserves so much more than she’s getting, she deserves to be happy, and Kara wishes there was something she could do to give that to her, something that she could do to help, because the situation sucks.

Kara startles when her phone rings and she feels herself relaxing when she sees Alex’s name on the phone. 

Alex always knows what to do.

“Hey, Alex,” Kara sighs, feeling the entire weight of this evening’s events fall onto her shoulders. It shouldn’t mean anything, nothing’s changed since yesterday, they’re still just friends, Lena’s still getting married, but if feels different, knowing she has feeling for her too.

“Did seeing Luthor this evening not go well?”

“I’ve told you not to call her that.”

“Well, it’s her name, isn’t it?”

“Alex,” Kara sighs, for a different reason this time. “I’ve told you, she’s not like her brother, not at all, okay? She’s kind and-“

“And she’s beautiful and funny and special and whatever other adjectives you’ve used to describe her, I know.” Kara winces as she hears Alex’s words, does she really go on like that? “I believe you, okay, I trust your judgement?” When Kara had first told Alex about meeting Lena, Alex had gotten a little protective but Kara had set her straight, told her all about the girl she’d met and how she was nothing like her family. “Fine, did seeing  _ Lena _ not go well?” Alex asks. “You sound upset.”

Kara bites her lip, tries to contain her tears but it doesn’t work as they spill down her cheeks. “She told me she likes me.”

“Oh honey that’s great,” Alex says before she pauses. “Except you don’t sound like you think that’s great. All I’ve heard from you these last few days is how much you like the girl who keeps coming to the café, I thought this was what you wanted.”

“I did, I do, I…” Kara swallows thickly. This should be nothing, she barely knows Lena, except they’ve both opened up to each other these last few days, Kara loving every bit of new information that Lena gives her. There’s something about Lena that feels different, something so easy about being with her, something that just feels  _ right _ . She knows Lena is special.

“She told me something yesterday,” Kara continues, “Something that changes that and…” She hesitates, doesn’t want to reveal too much about Lena. “You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, besides Maggie, okay?”

“Kara?” There’s a hint of a warning in Alex’s tone.

“Promise, or I won’t tell you.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“Lena’s getting married,” Kara breathes. Just saying it out loud hurts.

“But you just said she likes you?” There’s clear confusion and a hint of anger to Alex’s voice now.

“It’s not…it’s a money thing, a business thing, an arranged marriage, which you can’t tell anyone, okay?  _ Anyone. _ I haven’t seen their engagement announced yet but I assume it’ll be soon, they’re getting married next week.”

“Oh.” There’s a long pause before Alex speaks again. “Who’s she getting married to?”

“Some guy named Mike, she doesn’t even like him. She just seems so sad, whenever it’s brought up, so I haven’t asked too many questions, I hate seeing her sad. But today we almost kissed and she told me she likes me but that we can’t be together and-“ More tears spill from Kara’s eyes. “This is so stupid, I just like her so much and I don’t know what to do.”

“Sweetie, I don’t think there is a lot you  _ can  _ do. Except be there for Lena. Or you can leave, if it hurts too much to see her, then you should tell her you can’t be friends before you get hurt even more.”

“Not seeing her  _ will _ hurt even more. We’re friends, I’m lucky to even have her as that, I just hate how unhappy she is.”

“She can’t say no?” Alex asks. 

“She could, but if she does, she loses Luthor Corp, she’s going to be their new CEO. You should hear her talk, she has so many plans, she wants to help so many people. There’s so much good she wants to do, it’s the only reason she agreed to get married.”

“She sounds pretty cool, I’d like to meet her someday.”

“I’d like that too.” Kara brushes the last of her tears away. “I wish you were here so I could hug you.”

“I wish so too, kiddo, I’ll come visit soon, I promise.”

“With Maggie?”

“With Maggie. Okay, I better get back to work, but text or call if you need anything or just want to talk?”

“Okay.” Kara already feels a bit better, her sister has always had that effect on her. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

The line goes dead and Kara drops her phone on her bed, before she follows suit and drops herself on the bed too.

It takes a while but she manages to fall asleep, waking tired and grumpy in the morning when her alarm goes off. She arrives at the café slightly early, in time for an extra sweet coffee before she has to open up.

It gives her enough time to get things back in focus before Eliza or Jeremiah ask her any questions about last night. Sure, she’s sad, and it seems a little cruel that the universe has dropped this wonderful person into her life, that they both have feelings for each other, only to not be able to do anything about them.

But that’s just it, Lena is still in her life, Lena’s still her friend, they’ll be able to continue to spend time together here before Lena leaves, and then once Kara is back at college, they’ll be able to spend time together it National City too. So while it sucks they can’t be together, Lena is still in her life, and that’s the most important thing.

“How was last night?”

Kara jumps at the sudden voice, unexpected in the closed café. She hadn’t heard Eliza appear from the kitchen.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Kara laughs as she clutches her chest. It’s not often that anyone can sneak up on her. Kara waves Eliza off. “It’s fine, I was lost in thought. Good morning.”

Eliza smiles. “Good morning, dear. Lost in thought, huh? Maybe about a certain girl who’s been visiting the café quite frequently recently.” There’s a knowing look on her face, Kara wishes she weren’t so obvious about her feelings.

The blush that stains Kara’s cheek answers Eliza’s question and the older woman laughs.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Did you two have fun last night?”

Kara knows Eliza doesn’t mean  _ fun  _ in the way Kara’s mind takes it, as thoughts flash back to an almost kiss that she  _ knows _ would’ve been fun. Which is probably just one of many words that she’d use to describe kissing Lena, if she ever got to that is.

“It was good, we ate pizza and watched The Princess Bride.”

“That girl definitely knows the way to your heart.”

Kara rolls her eyes at Jeremiah’s interruption into the conversation, her cheeks only going redder. She hadn’t even told either of them about her crush, but somehow they just know, and now are having fun teasing her.

Before, she’d laughed them off, all the while thinking that Lena could never like her back. Now, she laughs them off, but with a tightness in her chest that she pushes away.

Luckily, a distraction comes quickly after they open, in the form of Mrs Phillips, who always brings her dog by whenever she stops by to buy pastries on her way to see her daughter.

She catches Eliza glancing at her a few times as other customers fill the café, Kara always just smiling back. She wonders if Eliza can see it too, behind her smiles, there’s a hint of pain.

The bell above the door rings a couple hours after they open and all of the pain is forgotten, all that longing, everything other than how beautiful Lena looks as she steps through the door, a smile on her face as her eyes land on Kara too. She’s got that hoodie on again, the same one she’s worn all week, too hot for this weather but good for hiding her identity.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Kara says, a smile on her own face as Lena reaches the counter.

Lena rolls her eyes though she’s clearly amused. She shrugs. “Seems like I just can’t stay away.”

Kara hopes Lena can’t see the blush staining her cheeks again. Lena’s probably just talking about the coffee, or her dad’s delicious baking.

Except maybe she’s not, not after what happened last night.

Yesterday, Kara would’ve just assumed that’s what Lena had been saying, that there was no way that Lena would be here just to see her, not in a romantic sense anyway.

But she knows better now, and it makes her heart flutter that Lena likes her too.

Kara’s caught in Lena’s gaze, caught in green eyes watching her with soft affection. That first night Lena walked in here, she’d looked scared, unsure, her eyes sad and tired, but not now, now they’re bright and happy and as beautiful as ever.

“Kara?” Kara startles again, what is with her today? She looks to the side and sees Eliza giving her a knowing look. “Maybe you should take Lena’s order so she can sit down?”

Kara blushes, yet again, this time at being caught staring at Lena.

“Of course,” Kara says, embarrassed. At least this time it’s not just her, Lena’s own cheeks are stained red. It’s entirely unfair how good she looks. “Ahh…what can I get you?” she asks. She has to force herself to look away or risk getting stuck in Lena’s gaze again.

“A large hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin please.”

“Are you staying?” Kara asks, hand hovering over a takeaway cup, glancing back at Lena. She tries not too look too hopeful but she’s pretty sure she fails when Lena smiles and nods.

She watches as Lena walks towards her usual table after paying, only averting her eyes when Eliza clears her throat, looking thoroughly too amused by the situation.

She’s suddenly regretting moving back here for the summer, she should’ve just stayed in National City like Alex said she could. She only moved back here for the summer instead of moving straight in with Alex because she wanted to give her sister a bit of space before she moved in. No one  _ really _ wants their little sister living with them. That, and the fact that she wanted to see her parents and help them out with the café.

But if she hadn’t come back to Midvale, she never would’ve meet Lena, which, okay, maybe she  _ doesn’t _ regret moving back here, she’s definitely enjoying the new friendship that’s developing between the two of them, but it’s going to hurt sometimes, something she’s just going to have to get used to because she’s not willing to give up her friendship with Lena.

Kara’s eyes make their way back over to where Lena is sitting, through no conscious thought of her own. Lena looks up, catches her eyes again. Despite the blush that spreads across her face at being caught, which she hopes Lena can’t see, she grins and pokes out her tongue.

Any embarrassment from being caught staring, by Lena herself, or by Eliza, is worth it to see that smile.

_ She really needs to get herself under control.  _

“Do you want to take this to Lena or do you want me to?” Eliza asks, sliding a cup of hot chocolate and a muffin onto the counter in front of them.

“Thank you,” Kara grins sheepishly, feeling bad because she should’ve made the drink, it is her job after all. “I’ve got it.”

“I figured.” Eliza’s smile is warm, she clearly approves of Lena as she winks at her. Kara’s not going to be the only one that’s disappointed by Lena’s upcoming nuptials when Eliza eventually finds out.

She’ll tell her later, or Eliza will no doubt find out when it hits the news that Lena is married, if it hasn’t been announced before then. For now, she’ll just take her knowing looks and smiles, it’s much better than the sadness or pity she knows is going to come.

Kara gathers the food and makes her way towards Lena. She places it on Lena’s table, then immediately takes the seat opposite her.

“Don’t you have work?” Lena asks, eyebrow raised.

Kara waves her hand around the mostly empty café. “They’ll be fine without me for ten minutes.”

Lena shakes her head with a smile, but says no more on the subject. Kara watches as Lena picks up the cup, blowing gently on the liquid before she takes a small sip.

How is something so simple, so captivating? Kara thinks it may be the way Lena hums as she lowers the cup. It’s incredibly distracting and really not fair that she has to push this down, push down her feelings, hide them all deep inside and hope they don’t grow any stronger.

Now that she has these feelings, she’s not sure what to do with them, because she’s pretty sure they’re not going to go away any time soon, even with the knowledge that they can never be anything other that just friends.

“There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about,” Lena says after a long moment. Kara remains silent, watches as something goes through Lena’s mind. She doesn’t prompt her though, just waits as Lena clearly struggles with something. “I was thinking after you left last night, that it really wasn’t fair what I said-“

“Lena,” Kara cuts in. She can see she’s trying to apologise again and they’ve talked about this, it’s neither of their faults, it’s just life.

“No, please,” Lena continues, voice low but luckily there’s no one sitting near them anyway, no one that could overhear. “It makes it harder, doesn’t it? Knowing that I like you too. Because I can’t stop thinking about the fact that you like me, that we could be together, if not for my own situation. It would’ve been kinder, to you, if you never found out I liked you too.”

“Hey.” Kara reaches across the table, lays her hand over Lena’s. “I mean, yeah, it sucks, but also I’m glad I know. For one thing, it makes the fact that I almost kissed you less awkward.” Lena laughs quietly. She could listen to Lena laugh all day. “And two, it’s entirely flattering knowing that someone as beautiful as you could ever like someone like me.”

Lena frowns. “You’re saying ‘ _ someone like me _ ’ like it’s a bad thing, like there’s something wrong with you or that I’m somehow better than you. I’ve known you a week, and it only took one look for me to know you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and everything I’ve seen since has shown me that you’re beautiful on the inside too. I get the feeling you think I’m out of your league but that is definitely not the case,  _ you’re _ well out of  _ my _ league.”

Kara ducks her head as she feels her cheeks go red again. “Lena, I-“ She cuts herself off with a nervous laugh, has no idea what to say to something like that. No one has ever made her feel the way Lena makes her feel.

“Sorry,” Lena says, Kara looking back up in time to see Lena ‘s own head drop. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that either. I don’t really know how to handle this, I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”

“Lena,” Kara says quietly, gaining Lena’s attention again, she gives squeezes their still joined hands. “Yes, I did, well I still do, think you’re out of my league, but it’s kind of nice to know you think I’m the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen.” Kara winks, prompting what Kara would call an affectionate eye roll from Lena. “ I don’t exactly know how to deal with this either,” Kara says, turning more serious. “But what I do know is that I don’t want these feelings to ruin our friendship.”

Kara watches as Lena visibly relaxes in front of her. “Me too.”

“So we keep talking, and be honest with each other, and we’ll be okay.”

Lena smiles, and it’s so warm and her eyes are so soft and Kara has the sudden urge to just lean over and kiss her.

But she doesn’t, she pushes it all down in an entirely unhealthy but necessary way and instead focuses on Lena herself, watches as her lips wrap around the edge of the cup as she takes another drink, watches the way her tongue darts out to catch a drop that spills onto her lips, watches the crinkles that form in the corner of Lena’s eyes as her smile grows. 

There’s the cut of her jaw, the freckle on her neck, the way her hair is pulled back into a ponytail exposing said neck. There’s her dimples and the colour that sits high on her cheeks and okay, maybe she should stop staring, but she can’t help it, Lena is gorgeous. Her eyes drop, just for a second, before they shoot back up. They’re friends, they’ve talked about this multiple times in the last twenty four hours. And friends don’t stare at each other’s chests.

Kara clears her throat, cheeks definitely red again. “Can you stay for long today?”

Lena’s shoulders immediately drop and Kara already knows the answer.

“No, I have…plans with my mother this afternoon.”

Kara gets the distinct feeling that it’s something wedding related and she’s just not saying so to spare Kara’s feelings again.

This next week is going to hurt.

So she decides to distract herself, in the form of food and maybe a little bit to tease Lena.

“You haven’t touched your food yet,” Kara says, reaching over with her free hand (she’s very much ignoring the fact that their hands are still joined and hoping Lena doesn’t realise they still are either so she won’t let go), she breaks a bit off Lena’s muffin and quickly shoves it into her mouth before Lena can stop her.

Lena swats her had away when she tries to go in for seconds. “I’m pretty sure you’re not meant to eat your customers food,” Lena laughs. 

Kara shrugs with a grin. “I thought you wouldn’t mind sharing it with the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen.”

“Oh my God,” Lena says, half on a laugh, half on a groan. “I regret saying that now. I take it back, you’re not even that good looking.”

“Nope,” Kara says, using the distraction to sneak her hand across the table and steal another piece. “You said it, no take backs.”

Lena shakes her head, clearly trying to hide a smile. To Kara’s surprise, she pushes the plate into the middle of the table.

“No, I was-“

“We can share,” Lena smiles. “I’ve already had breakfast so I really didn’t need this anyway, I just couldn’t resist, it’s delicious.”

Kara grins as she snags another piece. “Right? I’m still trying to get the recipe off Jeremiah so Maggie can make them when I move in with them. I’m pretty sure the only reason he hasn’t given it to me yet is because he thinks I’ll attempt making them myself and we’ll have another fire on our hands.”

“From what you’ve told me, that’s a legitimate fear.”

“Hey, no, in my defense, I’m pretty sure those other fires were Alex’s fault.”

Lena raises an eyebrow, something that Kara is entirely jealous of while also finding it rather hot. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

This is what Kara loves, how easy this is, to talk, to joke and to just spend time together.

Kara rolls her eyes playfully. “You should.”

Lena’s mouth is open, ready to say something, probably something witty or teasing, when a shadow falls over their table. Kara turns, ready to apologise to her mom or dad because it’s definitely been over ten minutes, which totally isn’t her fault, Lena is  _ captivating _ , although she’s not sure that excuse will work for missing work, but when her eyes fall on the person who’s interrupted them, it’s someone she doesn’t recognise.

“Lena?”

Kara may not know him, but he knows Lena.

Lena’s eyes widen. “Mike?”

The hand slips from hers, the air cold as it fills her empty hand, as a lead weight settles in her stomach.

This is Mike?  _ The _ Mike? The Mike that Kara is entirely jealous of that gets to marry Lena? The man who she knows doesn’t deserve Lena, knows isn’t good enough for her.

“What are you doing here?”

Mike smiles and Kara thinks that even if she didn’t know him, didn’t know he was Lena’s fiancé, she still wouldn’t like him based on that smile alone.

She’s not usually one that’s quick to judge others, but she’s going to judge Mike.

“You haven’t been answering my texts,” Mike starts.

“Texts?” Lena cuts in, her brow crinkling in a frankly adorable manner that shouldn’t be Kara’s focus right now. “What texts?”

“I texted you but you never replied,” Mike says, his lips turning down, his eyes widening. He looks sad but even Kara can tell it’s fake. Is he really trying to trick Lena into feeling bad for him? She likes him even less already. Lucky for her, he doesn’t even seem to have noticed she’s sitting here yet, but she also doesn’t like how all his attention is focused solely on Lena.

Lena frowns as she shakes her head. “I never received any of your texts. That’s weird, maybe my phone is broken, I was having trouble with it the other day.”

Lies, they’re all lies, but unlike Mike, Lena actually can act, and if Kara didn’t know any better, if she hadn’t seen Lena receives the texts Mike is talking about, then Kara would’ve believed her too.

Mike frowns for a moment before he shakes his head, an easy grin settling on his face. “Never mind now, I’m here and we can talk in person.”

“How did you know I’d be here?” Lena asks.

“I stopped by your house to see you but you weren’t there, your mother suggested I try here.”

Lena’s eyes widen, her eyes turning to her, just for a moment. Kara sees all the worry in them, all the confusion. As far as Kara was aware, Lena’s mother didn’t know she’d been sneaking out of the house each day and it seems Lena didn’t know she knew either.

“Now that I’ve found you,” he grins. “We could do something together this afternoon. Your mother said the beach is nice in this area. I’d love to see you in a bikini.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, Kara feels like she could throw up.

“I can’t, I have a dress fitting with my mother this afternoon.”

Kara’s heart stills for a moment, a dress fitting, a  _ wedding  _ dress fitting, that’s what Lena had been avoiding telling her earlier. Images, unbidden, fill her mind, of Lena in white, of Lena walking down the aisle, of Lena looking so achingly beautiful it hurts.

Kara wants to see Lena in her dress, wants to see her on her wedding day looking stunning, but she’s not sure she’s strong enough, not sure she’d be strong enough to watch Lena marry someone else. It’s a bit early days in their relationship or friendship or whatever this is (it’s a friendship!) to be thinking about Lena marrying her instead, and this isn’t what she’s saying, she just doesn’t want Lena to marry Mike, she wants the  _ chance _ to find out if all these feelings could lead to more.

Although, Kara thinks she already knows the answer to that. There’s something about Lena, almost like a magnet, pulling her in. Kara had no hope from the beginning, from that night she first caught green eyes and butterflies had starting fluttering around her stomach.

“Lillian said you can do that tomorrow, she’d rather you spend time with me today.” Mike winks. “And I agree.”

Lena’s eyes are back on her, so green, and Kara knows that look immediately, a pleading look when someone needs help, especially when a man is involved. She’s stepped in enough times on campus to help when she’s seen girls in trouble, seen that look broadcast to anyone in the area who could help.

“Actually,” Kara says, speaking for the first time since Mike arrived. “Lena and I already have plans this afternoon.”

The way Mike’s eyes fall on her, it’s clear he hadn’t noticed her before.

“Hi,” Mike grins. “You could join us if you like.”

Kara doesn’t like the way his eyes track down her body, luckily she’s half hidden by the table.

“No thank you, like I said, Lena and I already have plans.”

“And I can’t join?” He asks.

Kara thinks quick, tries to think of something. The only thing her mind could think of, for some reason, was they were going for a run together. She doesn’t even know if Lena  _ likes _ running. Until something else pops into her mind, that is something the title won’t allow Mike in on. “No, we’re having a girls’ night.”

“Girls’ night?” There’s a suggestive look in his eye and, okay, yeah, Kara hates him.

“Girls’ night,” Kara confirms. “No boys allowed.”

“That’s too bad, we could’ve had some fun,” Mike grins.

“We can spend some time together another day,” Lena says, her tone final and again, it’s hot.

Maybe everything about Lena is just hot, because the way she’s almost glaring up at Mike right now is pretty hot too.

Mike shakes his head. “I’m heading back to Metropolis today, I have a few days of big plans with the guys, a sort of stag do, before I come back here for the wedding and we move to National City.”

“That’s too bad,” Lena smiles. The relief is almost palpable across the table. This smile is real, one born from the fact that she won’t have to see Mike again for at least a few days. “I’ll see you next week then.”

Lena turns her attention fully back to Kara, Kara doing the same, even though she can feel Mike still hovering. Lena’s words were clearly a dismissal but it takes Mike a moment to realise that too. She doesn’t look but she sees his shadow shift and then he’s gone.

“That was Mike?” Kara asks at the same time as Lena says, “I’m so sorry.”

Lena sighs as she catches Kara’s words. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“He seems like a douchebag.”

“Yes!” Lena exclaims, waving her hands around at nothing. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Kara laughs, before it fades into something sadder. “You really have to marry him?”

Lena looks sad now too. “I do. But that’s a problem for future me to worry about, right now, I want to say thank you for saving me from spending time with him today, and ask what a ‘girls night’ involves.”

“You actually want to have a girls’ night?” Kara asks.

Lena looks suddenly nervous. “Yeah? I mean, only if you want to, we don’t-“

Kara grins. “A girls’ night sounds perfect!” It had been a lie, one to get Lena out of spending time with Mike, she didn’t think Lena would actually  _ want _ to have a girls’ night with her.

Lena still looks nervous. “Can we have it at yours? I’m sure Lillian wouldn’t let us have it at my house and I’d really like not to be there tonight.”

Kara reaches across the table, lays her hands over Lena’s fidgeting ones. “Of course.”

“Your parents won’t mind?”

Kara shakes her head. “No, they won’t care.” They’re happy she’s found a friend, especially after moping around without Alex since she arrived for the summer. Eliza told her the other day it was good to see her smiling properly again. Kara’s almost sure that if she asked, they’d let Lena move in if she wanted.

Lena smiles. “So, you never told me, what exactly happens at a girls’ night? I’ve heard of them but never really had one before.”

Kara pauses for a moment. “I’ve never actually had one either,” Kara realises. “Not really. I mean and my sister, and sometimes Maggie now, have ‘sisters’ night’ but that’s about it, I suppose that counts though. We watch movies and eat junk food and catch up.”

“So what we did last night, but at your house this time?”

Kara laughs. “Pretty much yeah. According to the movies I’ve seen, girls’ night usually involve painting nails, braiding hair and gossiping about boys.”

“Hard pass on the gossiping about boys.”

“Does that mean we can paint each others nails and braid each others hair then?”

“Maybe,” Lena laughs. She looks happy and carefree and relaxed now, none of the shadows hanging over her features that Mike caused. This is how Lena should always feel, and Kara’s going to do her best to make Lena happy. Even when they’re in National City, even when Lena has a ring on her finger that’s not from her and goes home to someone else, Kara’s going to do everything in her power to make Lena this happy. “I’ll meet you after your shift today? I still do have plans with my mother.” Lena’s eyes shift, avoiding Kara’s for a moment before they’re back. “And she’ll want to speak to me, no doubt, about today, especially since I didn’t know she knew where I am right now.”

“We don’t have to have a girls’ night, if you don’t want to, if it’ll get you in trouble?”

“No, I very much do, that sounds lovely. Plus, if Mike finds out I’m at home, then he’ll no we lied, and we can’t have that. Or at least that’s the excuse I’ll give my mother so she lets me go.”

“Okay, I better get back to work, it’s been way longer than ten minutes now.”

Lena sends her an apologetic smile as they stand. “Sorry.”

“I’m not complaining,” Kara grins. “I got to spend more time with you and less time doing the dishes.”

They say their goodbyes, Kara telling her to meet her back here later and she’s about to go back to work when Lena stops her.

“Wait, what should I bring tonight?”

“Just yourself,” Kara says. “Oh, and pyjamas. Girls’ nights always happen in pyjamas. I’ll sort out everything else.”

“What is ’everything else’?”

Kara grins. “Mostly snacks. Oh, and think of any movies you want to watch too.”

Lena stands and Kara watches her hesitate for a moment. Kara’s not sure what’s going through Lena’s mind until she steps forward, wraps her arms around Kara.

It feels awkward, or just a moment, before Lena relaxes into her, as Kara’s own arms wrap around Lena and hold her close.

Lena feels perfect and warm and firm pressed against her. Kara presses her face into the side of Lena’s head, breathes in the perfume she’s wearing. How does she even smell good? She wants to commit this, all of it, to memory, the way Lena leans into her, lets Kara take some of her weight. The way Lena’s head settles into the crook of her neck. The way Lena’s arms wrap completely around her, like she’s trying to hold her as close as possible.

And then there’s the way Lena actually fits against her, slightly smaller, slotting almost perfectly there, like Lena was made for the spot in her arms, or maybe she was made for the spot in Lena’s.

Or maybe there were made together, two pieces that were meant to meet and fit together.

Kara reluctantly lets go when she feels Lena’s arms slip from around her. She suddenly feels cold, even in the summer warmth of the café, without Lena’s touch.

But then Lena smiles and Kara’s filled with warmth again. She really would do anything to see that smile.

She watches Lena go, watches as Lena waves to her mom behind the counter as she walks towards the door. And then she watches as Lena turns just before she leaves, turns and gives Kara one last smile. Kara knows her returning smile is too big but she doesn’t care, she’s happy.

“That looked promising,” Eliza says, nodding her head towards the now empty table.

Kara shakes her head. “It was nothing.” That’s a lie, their hug was a lot more than nothing, but it’s not what Eliza’s thinks it means either.

“But who was the guy?”

“A friend of Lena’s,” Kara says after a pause.

Eliza nods. “I saw lots of hand holding, that looked good too.”

Kara laughs but it feels hollow. “Were you spying on us?”

“You’re sitting in a brightly lit café, just across the room from me, there was no spying needed. Did you ask her out?”

Kara sighs, head falling. “No.” She looks back at Eliza, makes sure no one is in earshot. “And I won’t be either.”

“She clearly likes-“

“Mom,” Kara says, cutting Eliza off. Eliza sobers, senses whatever Kara is about to say, is serious. “I, I’ll explain later, okay?” She’s going to tell Eliza the truth, because it’s hard, all this teasing, and there may be pity afterwards, but it’s better than the hope she sees whenever Eliza looks at them. It makes her forget, just for a moment, that she can’t be with Lena. Makes her think, just for a moment, that they could have a future together, until it crashes back into her that they can’t. “But as much as I want it to, it’s not going to work, Lena and I, okay? There are things…” Kara thinks she might cry. “We just can’t.”

“Oh honey,” Eliza says, pulling Kara into a hug. Kara easily goes with it, despite being in the middle of the café. At least the lunch rush hasn’t hit yet so they’re not very busy.

Kara sinks into Eliza’s embrace, lets her mother hold her, for just a moment. She forces back the tears, there’s no point in crying over this, it’s not going to change anything.

“You can still be friends with her, right?” Eliza asks as she lets go, pulls back but still resting her hands on Kara’s arms. It’s comforting, in a way that’s different from Lena’s touch. It’s a mothers touch. Kara lets it hold her up for a second, takes some of Eliza’s strength.

“Yeah,” Kara smiles. “She’s wonderful, isn’t she? And we’re having a girls’ night tonight, at home, if that’s okay with you?”

“Of course, tell Lena, she’s always welcome here. No matter what.”

There’s something in Eliza’s eyes that makes Kara think she may know more than she’s letting on, or maybe it’s just Eliza’s motherly instincts kicking in.

“Thank you.”

“Now,” Eliza spins her around by the shoulders and points her towards the back door. “Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.”

Kara laughs, feeling lighter, and Eliza gives her a little shove towards the kitchen. And as Kara starts on the cleaning, she can’t help but think about tonight. She can’t wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Lena doesn’t bother sneaking back in when she gets home, Lillian knows she was gone, so there’s no point in hiding anymore. And sure enough, as soon as she walks through the front door, Lillian is there. All of Lena’s good feelings about the morning, besides Mike’s surprise visit, are gone.

Not even the memory of Kara’s hug is enough to cheer her up right now, but it does help a little.

“Did you really think I didn’t know you’d been sneaking out?”

Lena sighs. She’s really not in the mood for this. Or more, she doesn’t want this to ruin her good mood.

Too late.

“Am I not allowed out of my own house?”

“You’re an adult, you can do what you want.”

The words surprise Lena, that hadn’t been what she’d been expecting.

“But I’d advise you to remember what’s at stake, that’s why I sent Mike to the café. Where is he? Is he coming over again later?”

Lena glances away. “He’s gone, I already have plans this afternoon.”

“Your wedding dress can wait, I told him-“

“And I told him that I already have  _ different  _ plans today.”

“Lena,” Lillian chastises. “What is more important than your upcoming marriage and taking over the company?”

_ Kara is. _

“We’re getting married, we all know that, and nothing is going to change that, so can’t I just,  _ please, _ have these last few days to myself. I’m having a girls’ night with a friend tonight.”

“A friend?”

“I assume you already know about Kara if you knew where I was.”

“I didn’t know her name. Lena, don’t get distracted, remember the big picture.”

_ “I know.” _ She knows all too well what she could lose, what she has to do and why she’s doing all this, why she won’t just give it all up for a chance with Kara. “So, I can go?”

“I don’t think you’d listen if I tried to stop you, but don’t forget Mike.”

“How can I? He’s wonderful,” Lena says, fake smile on her face, words dripping with sarcasm.

“Don’t think this gets you out of trying on wedding dresses though. No matter how much you wish it wasn’t, this wedding is still happening next week.”

Lena sighs again. “I know.”

Lena must admit, she quite likes trying on the dresses today, the only thought bringing down her mood is that she’ll have to wear one next to Mike. But she likes the white, likes how they flow, how she can imagine herself walking down the aisle, someone different at the end to greet her, someone with blonde hair, blue eyes and a smile so wide Lena’s heart stutters at just the thought.

It’s a bad fantasy, one she really can’t entertain, but it makes all of this more bearable .

They finally settle on a dress, one that only needs slight alterations, and then she’s free, free to pack a bag, filling it with her toothbrush and a pair of pyjamas, free to head towards the café, knowing Kara’s shift ends soon, free to stop at a store on the way and buy a carton of ice cream because she doesn’t want to turn up empty handed, free to have a good time without Mike or her mother getting in the way.

The time she spent debating what to buy at the store is totally worth it when she gets to the café and greets Kara, opens her bag to show her the ice cream she bought.

“You’re my favourite,” Kara exclaims, and then arms are around her, albeit briefly, as Kara pulls her into a quick hug.

Lena laughs, trying to calm her racing heart. “I swear, you and food.”

Kara flushes red. “I know, but you got mint choc chip, my absolute favourite! We hardly ever get it at home because I’m the only one who likes it. How did you know?”

Lena grins. “I didn’t, it’s my favourite too.”

“See? I knew we were friends for a reason.”

Lena doesn’t know what to expect as they make the, what she’s told, short walk to Kara’s house. Ever since the invite, she’s been trying to imagine what Kara’s house may be like. Her only consistent thought, regardless of location, size or colour, is that it’ll be bright. And not in the sense of light, but in the sense that she knows, after seeing the Danvers together at the store, after seeing Kara’s relationship with her adoptive parents, that the house is going to be more than that, it’s going to be a home, it’s going to be bright and welcoming and the opposite of the Luthor Mansion.

And she’s right, the first impression as she walks through the front door behind Kara, is that this place is a home, it feels lived in, like a  _ family _ lives here, like a place Kara would live. She wonders if Alex’s apartment in the city feels like this too.

“Come on, let me give you the tour,” Kara grins.

After a detour to the kitchen to drop of the ice cream, Kara shows her the rest of the house. It’s not small, by any means, but it’s no where near as big as her house either. Lena likes it though, likes the openness of the house, likes the large living area and kitchen and she loves the balcony with the telescope.

And then they reach one last room, the name on the door clearly marking who it belongs too.

“Technically it’s just mine now,” Kara points at the two names. “Since Alex moved out.”

“It’s nice that the two of you got to share a room.”

“As teenagers, we didn’t appreciate it so much.”

“Is this Alex?” Lena asks as she picks up a photo. She’d seen lots of photos around the house, of Eliza and Jeremiah and two girls, one clearly Kara and the other an older girl, her hair brown in most photos, but Lena saw one that looked more recent where her hair looked red.

Kara smiles. “Yeah, that’s Alex.” The two girls have their arms wrapped around each other. They look happy and Lena feels a pang of jealousy, just for a moment, at how lucky Kara is to have Alex when, especially these days, it seems like Lex doesn’t care about her at all. “She’s going to love you when you two finally get to meet in National City, I can’t wait. We can all have girls’ nights together!”

Lena laughs at Kara’s enthusiasm, trying to push down just how  _ wonderful _ that sounds incase it doesn’t happen, in case Alex doesn’t like her or Kara realises it’s too hard to keep up their friendship in National City.

And then Lena pushes down those extra feelings too, the ones where she feels like she’s not worth it, not worth Kara’s love or time, because Kara makes her feel like maybe she is, and she’s sure her friend wouldn’t appreciate her thoughts right now.

“Okay,” Kara claps her hands together. “I hope you’re ready, I have so much planned for tonight.”

Lena’s suddenly nervous. “You do?”

Kara laughs, knocking her elbow against Lena’s. “Don’t look so worried.” She loops her arm through Lena’s, tugs her from the room. “Let’s go.”

They order Chinese food from a local place Lena has never even heard of before for dinner, and that’s how Lena discovers Kara’s love of potstickers, and her own. They’re delicious and she’s glad Kara insisted they order extra. 

And then they settle on the couch together to watch Stardust, another movie Kara says is good.

“Wait!” Kara says, standing abruptly even after she’s just sat down. “We need snacks!”

Lena watches in amusement as Kara vanishes into the kitchen, only to return a few minutes later with chocolate, popcorn, and two bowls of ice cream.

“How are you still hungry?” Lena asks, accepting the bowl of ice cream despite how full she feels, it  _ is _ her favourite after all.

Kara shoves a huge spoonful into her mouth, seemingly unaffected by the cold. She talks around her mouthful. “I’m always hungry.”

It’s a few hours later, most of the food is gone (thanks to Kara) and they’re on their second movie, this one called ‘Stick It’, which Lena must admit she is enjoying, when Kara’s parents get home.

Despite Kara’s assurances that it’s fine she’s here, she suddenly feels nervous. She’s in their house, on their couch, watching a movie with their daughter, this is much different from just seeing them at the café.

“How’s girls’ night going so far?” Eliza asks as she steps into the room. Lena’s fears fade a little with the warmth of Eliza’s smile.

Jeremiah’s smiling too as she holds up a paper bag, depositing it on the coffee table with the remnants of the rest of their snacks. “I thought you girls might like a treat if you’re still hungry.”

Lena doesn’t get a chance to decline the nice offer, because Kara beats her to speaking.

“Yes, thank you!”

Kara jumps up and hugs both her parents, before she flops back down onto the couch beside Lena, this time even closer than before. She’s been aware of it all night, the gap between them on the couch, too far but definitely for the best. But now, Kara’s thigh is pressed against hers and it’s warm and causes the last of her fear to fade.

Kara’s touch is calming.

And electrifying.

“Have you two eaten?” Eliza asks. She eyes the table. “Proper food, I mean.”

Kara nods, already digging into Jeremiah’s gift. “Yeah, we had Chinese earlier.”

Jeremiah laughs. “Kara and potstickers. I’m surprised you’re still hungry if you stuffed yourself full of them.”

“You know this.” She talks around the pastry she’s already bitten into. “I’m always hungry.”

Lena doesn’t say anything, just watches the easy back and forth between the three of them. Despite the gentle teasing and the way Jeremiah rolls his eyes in return, there’s clear warmth in their words, clear love in their interactions.

Even though she’s just watching, Lena’s happy to be a part of it.

Eliza and Jeremiah head off to the kitchen to have their own dinner, leaving Kara and Lena alone again.

“Sorry about them,” Kara smiles. She doesn’t look overly sorry, she looks happy.

Lena smiles too. “I like them.”

Kara just smiles some more, and then she  _ keeps _ smiling, her eyes on Lena and Lena has to look away, uses the distraction of the movie still playing on the screen. “What did I miss?”

Instead of explaining, Kara just rewinds the movie.

The movie finishes, Lena having to try extra hard to pay attention to it now that Kara’s touching her. It’s only the slight press of her leg but it’s enough that Lena can feel it and has to resist the urge to press closer.

“Any particular movie you want to watch next?”

“What happened to the ‘braiding hair and painting nails’ that I was promised?” It does sound kind of fun, and from what Lena has heard herself, it seems to be a pretty standard girls’ night activity. Plus, it means Kara’s leg will no longer be causing a distraction.

The way Kara completely lights up is beyond cute. “Really?

Lena didn’t think about the fact that  _ both  _ these activities would only lead to more touching, not less.

Kara leads them back up to her room, and they have to raid Alex’s cupboard because Kara doesn’t wear any nail polish herself, and they only find black nail polish, but it’s good enough.

And then suddenly Kara is asking if she wants to go first and then she nods, not knowing entirely what to expect but then Kara is  _ taking her hand _ , she’s holding it so delicately in her own as she brushes paint across her nails.

She’s kind of terrible at it, the polish getting as much on her skin as on her nails, but that’s not the point, the point is that Kara’s holding her hand and she did so earlier but this is different. She can feel how utterly  _ soft _ Kara’s hands are, can feel how warm and gentle and if Lena thought earlier was bad, this is a lot more touching and they’re in Kara’s bedroom and she needs to get her racing heart under control and what she very much  _ can’t _ do is look up because she can feel Kara close as she works, knows pink lips will be right there, not as close as last night but close enough to hold her attention and make her want to find out what they taste like.

Lena swallows, hopes Kara can’t see the blush on her cheeks as Kara tilts down, blows gentle breath across Lena’s fingers.

“Sorry, I don’t think I’m very good at this.”

Kara’s sheepish gaze breaks the tension Lena is feeling, and although the way she’s biting her lip isn’t helping, one look back to her hands has Lena laughing. The nail polish is pretty much a mess across her fingers. “No, you’re not,” Lena laughs.

It’s then Kara’s turn to have her nails painted, and Lena is much better at it than Kara, her hand steady as she brushes strokes across Kara’s nails. She uses the distraction of trying to make Kara’s nails perfect to take her mind off the fact she’s now the one holding Kara’s hand.

Kara pouts as she looks down at her finished nails. “How are you so much better at that than me?”

Lena just laughs.

And then they move on to braiding each other’s hair, which is much  _ much  _ worse, because Kara’s fingers are now moving through her hair, gentle, pulling careful strands into a plait and it’s almost too much. But it’s not, it’s wonderful, and Lena doesn’t want it to end, wants to stay nestled between Kara’s legs as she sits on the floor, Kara on the bed behind her, wants to stay this close to Kara forever.

“Done,” Kara says not long enough later, with a squeeze to Lena’s shoulders. Kara jumps off the bed. “Let me see.” She grins as she admires her work. “Evidently, I’m much better at doing hair than painting nails, you look great!”

Kara’s just talking about her hair, hair she’s just styled herself, but Lena still blushes.

“My turn,” Lena says, pointing for Kara to take her seat. Kara settles on the floor and Lena takes the seat behind her, allows herself another moment to enjoy the warmth as Kara nestles back against her hanging legs. Kara is warm, and Lena’s not sure if it’s just Kara or if everyone is this warm to touch, she hasn’t had a lot of physical contact in the past, but it’s perfect, she loves how warm she is.

Lena tugs strands of blonde hair together, soft hair gliding through her fingers. She can smell Kara’s shampoo and it’s intoxicating. She forces herself to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted, distracted by thoughts of spinning Kara around, threading her fingers back through blonde hair and just kissing her.

_ That’s really not helping. _

It takes Lena a few moments of hands slipping through blonde strands, just enjoying the feeling, before Lena realises she has no idea what she’s doing.

“I…I’ve just realised, I don’t actually know how to braid someone else’s hair, I’ve only ever braided my own before.”

Kara laughs, already pulling away as she speaks. “It’s fine, I can just do my own hair.”

“Wait.” Lena places a hand on Kara’s shoulder to still her. “Let me try?”

Kara immediately settles back against her. “Of course.”

Lena tries to imagine she’s doing her own hair, how the process would be reversed, and she tries to copy the movement of her fingers through Kara’s hair.

She fails, she fails  _ miserably _ , Kara’s hair looking nothing like the intended plait at the end. It fact, it’s a mess, half tied up, half lose, and all horrible. Okay, the last thought is a lie, the world ‘horrible’ could never be used in conjunction with Kara in any way, shape or form, but it’s bad enough that Kara would never go out in public wearing it.

Even if she does look rather cute.

It’s Lena’s turn to apologise. “I’m so sorry.”

Kara takes one look in the mirror, and bursts out laughing. “I look ridiculous,” she laughs.

“No, you-“

Kara picks up strand of hair that definitely should be tied back, lets it drop again as she interrupts Lena. “Yes I do.” She’s still laughing. “I love it.”

Lena presses her lips together to stop her own laughter escaping, Kara’s good mood contagious.

“You really are bad at this,” Kara says between laughs. “Like I was pretty bad at painting your nails but you’re terrible at this.” Kara gestures to Lena, then back to herself. “How can your own hair always look so great but then mine looks like this?”

Lena ignores the compliment, too busy laughing now herself as she really takes in Kara’s hair, how bad it truly looks.

And then she can’t stop laughing, her breaths coming quick as Kara laughs too, it’s not  _ that  _ funny but Kara is still laughing and she looks beautiful and Lena’s happy.

Just when she thinks she’s got her laughter under control, she looks at Kara, sees the tears in her eyes and her still bright smile and she’s laughing again, tears forming in her own eyes. Lena’s not sure she’s laughed like this, ever.

Eventually, they do manage to settle down, but only after Kara sets her off laughing again when she takes her phone out and takes a photo.

“Alex needs to see this,” Kara explains when their laughter dies down. “It’s too good.”

Lena shakes her head, doesn’t argue as they both flop down onto the bed, too happy and tired to care that Kara’s going to share her lack of skill with her sister.

“Do you want to watch another movie before bed?” Kara asks, looking tired now herself too.

Like Lena would ever say no to Kara when she’s smiling like that. She nods.

“Pyjamas first then, because I’m likely to fall asleep and we should’ve been in our pjs hours ago. A girls’ night isn’t complete without pyjamas.”

Lena laughs. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“It is! Comfy clothes are a must.”

Lena ducks down the hallway and into the bathroom to change. She’d spent a while debating which pair of pyjamas to bring, whether to wear long pants or shorts, a tank top or a t-shirt, her expensive pair or an old shirt. Whatever she chose, Kara was going to see them.

And then she realised she was being silly, they’re literally just clothes to wear to bed and she’d settled on the pair she usually wears at home over summer, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, this particular one a shirt from college.

Nevertheless, as Lena steps back into Kara’s bedroom, she’s nervous, this is the least clothing Kara’s seen her in, her shorts are pretty short, good for summer, bad for covering skin.

But all thoughts of nerves are out the window when she sees Kara across the room. She shouldn’t have been worrying about what she was going to wear, but what  _ Kara _ would be wearing. Because she’s also wearing short shorts, wearing a tank top instead of the t-shirt Lena had opted for, and Lena can see a lot of tanned skin, lots of muscles that are just as distracting as they were yesterday.

_ How is one person both adorable and incredibly hot at the same time? _

“I totally imagined you wearing those satin pyjamas with like your name monogrammed on the pocket or something.”

Kara’s words break Lena from her thoughts, make her laugh. “That’s what my mother wears.”

Kara laughs too.

“Do you mind if we watch the movie up here? I don’t want to wake my parents by going downstairs again and I don’t want them to wake us in the morning if we fall asleep.”

Lena says yes again.

They settle onto Kara’s bed together, laptop balanced on Kara’s knees. This is even worse than downstairs, there’s a lot more bare skin against her own as they press close on the small bed.

It’s simultaneously the best and worst idea Kara’s ever had.

Kara puts on another movie, Lena missing the title this time as tiredness starts to take over, the comfort of the bed and Kara’s warmth making her realise how late it is, how tired she is. Her head falls to the side not long into the movie, too tired to lift it as the world starts to blur and her eyes fall closed.

\---

Lena’s just as warm and comfortable when she wakes up, confused for a moment until she remembers where she is, hears soft breathing coming from above her.

She tilts her head, finds herself half curled into Kara’s side, close on the too small bed.

Blue eyes blink open, bright even in the dark room.

“Good morning,” Kara smiles as their eyes meet, voice thick with sleep. 

“Morning,” Lena hums in return, too comfortable to care about how close they’re pressed. Lena’s been missing this most of her life, a close friend, and she’s going to enjoy it now.

Kara rolls away, half on the edge of the bed as she stretches, arms going above her head, shirt riding up. Lena uses all her willpower to glance away from the sliver of stomach revealed, friends don’t look at their friends like that.

Kara shakes herself, like she’s trying to wake herself up even more and it’s a little ridiculous but mostly cute. “Are you hungry?”

Lena’s barely awake, let alone hungry. She laughs. “Are you?”

Kara grins. “Of course. If we’re lucky, I can convince Jeremiah to make us pancakes for breakfast.”

Kara’s up and out of bed way too quickly for someone who’s just woken up. Lena has no choice but to follow. It isn’t until she’s halfway down the stairs and hears noises on the bottom floor, that Kara’s words really register. She stops, Kara taking a few more steps before she turns, realising Lena isn’t behind her.

Kara climbs a few steps again, stops in front of Lena. “Are you okay?”

Lena bites her lip, uncertain. “Your parents are downstairs and we’re in our pyjamas, shouldn’t we get changed?”

Kara shakes her head. “They won’t care.”

Still, Lena hesitates, her shorts are rather short, even if she’s still showing less skin than Kara. Plus they’re her pyjamas, shouldn’t they get dressed before going down for breakfast anyway?

“I promise,” Kara slips her hand into Lena’s. “They won’t care what we’re wearing, and they’re probably still in their pyjamas too. If you’re uncomfortable, we can go and get dressed but they honestly won’t mind.”

Maybe it’s the soft hand in hers or the warm, reassuring smile, but Lena finds herself nodding and lets herself be led downstairs. 

Lena thinks that when they reach the kitchen, Kara will let go of her hand, but she doesn’t, she keeps her grip tight on Lena’s as they enter the kitchen. If Kara’s not going to let go, then she isn’t either. She sees Eliza’s eyes flash down to their joined hands, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Morning, girls,” Eliza smiles. “Did you both sleep well?”

Lena nods. “Very well, thank you.”

Kara waves her off. “She’s lying, we fell asleep together on my bed watching a movie. I had a great sleep but it can’t have been overly comfortable for Lena, my bed is tiny.”

“It was nice,” Lena says, too late realising her words and who she’s just said them in front of. Her cheeks turn an unfortunate shade of red. “I mean fine, I slept fine.”

Thankfully, Jeremiah speaks, cutting through any awkwardness Lena feels and suitably distracting Kara. “How about I make you both some pancakes for breakfast?”

Lena glances at the time. “Don’t you have to get to the café?”

Jeremiah smiles. “It’s Sunday, we open late, so I have plenty of time to make you two pancakes if you’d like.”

“Duh,” Kara grins. “When have I ever said no to pancakes?”

Jeremiah shakes his head with a laugh. “Chocolate chip or blueberry?” Kara opens her mouth to answer but Jeremiah cuts her off, addressing Lena. “Lena?”

“I ahh…” Lena glances at Kara, sees the wide-eyed excitement on her face. She can see what answer Kara is hoping for written across her face.

“Chocolate chip?”

“Yes!” Kara fist pumps the air and it’s adorable.

And that’s how Lena ends up spending more time with the Danvers, having what she’d call a normal breakfast, family all sitting round the table, laughing, joking and eating food they’d prepared themselves. Lena loves it and she’s sad when Eliza and Jeremiah excuse themselves to get ready for work. 

“I have work today too,” Kara pouts. “There’s another girl who works with my parents too who usually covers so I can have some time off but she took this week off and I wanted the extra money anyway so it’s fine. Now I’m sad because it means I get less time with you.”

Lena’s heart flutters. “It’s fine, I should talk to my mother again today anyway, there are still a lot of things we need to prepare for next week.”

“I’ll walk you home first though?”

Lena smiles. “Please.”

\---

It’s been a whole twenty-four hours since she’s seen Kara, the longest it’s been since she met her. Luckily they’d exchanged numbers, and have been exchanging texts, almost non-stop since Kara walked her home yesterday. And today, again, she’s not going to be able to see Kara, because there’s a cake tasting they have to go to then the wedding planner is coming back to discuss some of the final arrangements and Lillian wants a photographer to stop by too, to get a few shots of the house as things start to come together, to get some shots of Lena trying on her altered wedding dress.

It’s all for publicity, and Lena hates it, not just the fact that eventually these photos are all going to be published to help publicize her marriage and company, but the fact that it means she can’t see Kara either.

Thank goodness for technology, and thank goodness either Kara’s parents don’t care that she’s texting on the job, or she’s very good at being sneaky.

Somehow, Lena thinks it might be the first.

She gets through all of it, all the photos, all the talk with the wedding planner and caterer, all the smiles from Lillian, with a smile on her own face. Thank God, Mike or Rhea aren’t here or the last part might not have been possible.

And now it’s Tuesday morning and she’s finally free, finally free to go and see Kara. Her wedding is on Saturday, the same day as her birthday, and she’s going to make the most of her time between now and then.

She hasn’t received a text from Kara all morning, which is a little strange, but maybe Eliza or Jeremiah finally cracked down on the no phones rule at work. Never mind, she can just text Kara herself, see if she’s free, and if she gets no reply, she can just visit the café instead.

Her phone is in hand and she’s about to actually text Kara, when the phone vibrates and a message from the girl herself appears.

**Can you come over** ?

Lena frowns down at the message, that’s all it says. No ‘hi’, no excessive punctuation or emojis, just a simple question.

Lena’s not sure why, but something doesn’t feel right.

**Now?**

**Please. I’m at home.**

Lena debates for a moment, before she replies.

**Are you okay?**

There’s no reply after that, and Lena spends the whole walk to Kara’s house worried. Has something happened? Is Kara okay? Please God, let her be okay.

She makes a slight detour, because if something is wrong, food seems like a good bet to make Kara feel at least a little bit better.

Plus, there’s inside knowledge from Eliza and Jeremiah, so she can better prepare herself seeing Kara. She’s barely used to having a friend, she has no idea how to respond when something is wrong.

The bell rings as she enters the café and Eliza’s eyes immediately meet hers from across the room.

“I’m sorry, dear,” Eliza says as she approaches the counter. “Kara isn’t here today.”

“I know, I just stopped by to get some food, Kara asked me to come over.”

Eliza’s eyes widen. “She did?”

Clearly, something is going on. Lena only hesitates for a moment. “Is Kara okay?”

“I…” Eliza glances around, lowers her voice. “It’s the anniversary of her parents death.”

“ _ Oh _ .”

Eliza gives her a sad smile. “Kara tends to spend today hiding away from the world, and usually Alex would be with her, but she couldn’t make it this year.” Eliza’s smile brightens a little. “I’m glad she has you.”

Eliza hands her a bag full of pastries, Kara’s favourites, but stops her when Lena tries to pay.

“Please,” Lena insists, money in hand. She’s gotten so much free food from this family, she doesn’t want to take even more.

Eliza waves her off. “I’m just happy Kara’s found a friend in you.”

Before Lena leaves, Eliza hands her a piece of paper. It has a phone number written on it. “If you or Kara need anything, call me?”

Lena nods. “I will.”

She walks quickly from the café to Kara’s house, not entirely sure what she’s going to find once she gets there. Lena knows what it’s like to lose a parent, but she was also four when it happened. She still has memories of her birth mother, but they’re vague, some she’s not even sure are real. But Kara has thirteen years of memories, had thirteen years with her parents before they were taken from her. Lena almost doesn’t remember her life before the Luthors, but Kara lost everything and had to start all over again.

When the door swings open at Kara’s house, she’s met with a red-eyed Kara. Clearly she’s been crying. She looks so small, wrapped in a blanket too hot for the weather, shoulders slumped, no sign of the light Lena’s used to seeing in Kara’s eyes.

Lena’s heart breaks a little.

“Hi,” Lena says quietly. She wishes there was something she could do to make things better, but she knows there’s not, not today.

“Hi.” Kara’s voice is equally quiet. “Tha-“ Her voice catches on the word. She clears her throat. “Thank you for coming.”

Lena can’t take it anymore, can’t take the tears in Kara’s eyes, the sadness etched across her whole body. “Always,” she says as she steps into Kara’s space, wraps her arms around her small frame.

A moment later, she realises she should’ve asked if Kara wanted a hug, but then she knows she’s done the right thing when Kara practically collapses into the embrace, Lena almost stumbling under the sudden weight. But she doesn’t, she holds strong as she grips back just as tightly. She rubs her hand up and down Kara’s back as she feels tears start to soak her collar, knowing no words can help right now. All she says is “I’ve got you,” as she holds Kara.

“Sorry,” Kara says eventually, pulling away, not making eye contact as she wipes her eyes. Lena belatedly realises Kara’s not wearing her glasses.

“You don’t have to be sorry, ever,” Lena says, rubbing a hand down Kara’s arm as she steps away herself. “Especially not about this.”

I…” Kara starts. She stops, tries again. “My parents…” she trails off again, fresh tears springing to her eyes.

“I know,” Lena cuts in. Kara looks up, surprised. “Eliza told me. I stopped by the café to get food.” She looks to the floor and sees the bag she’d dropped in favour of hugging Kara. She picks it up, hopes the food is fine. “And she…she told me.”

Kara swallows, wipes the fresh tears away. “Food?”

Lena smiles slightly. “Your favourite.”

Kara doesn’t smile but she does step back, gestures Lena inside. Lena follows Kara, back to the nest it looks like she’s made herself on the couch. Kara settles into the pull of blankets, Lena watches as she curls in on herself. Lena’s not exactly sure what to do, knows from her own experience that words won’t help, so she just takes the seat at the other end of the couch.

After a moment, Kara speaks. “Usually Alex would spend today with me, but she couldn’t make it back here because of work.”

“What would you two usually do?” Lena asks.

Kara sniffs. “Nothing much, we’d usually play a game or watch a movie, something to distract me from…” She looks down, Lena catching the way her lower lip quivers.

“I’m afraid I don’t know many games but we could watch a movie together?”

Kara looks up. “You don’t know many games?”

“I didn’t have much of a chance to play them when I as younger, the only one I know is chess.”

“I think Jeremiah has a chess set somewhere we could play.”

“Chess is boring-“ Lena starts but Kara cuts her off.

“Can you teach me?”

There’s no way she can say no to Kara, not when she’s looking at her like that, especially not today.

Kara finds a chess set in the cupboard and they start to play once Lena has explained the rules. Kara’s not crying anymore, and she catches a small smile flit across Kara’s face as she takes out Lena’s bishop. It’s not a lot but it’s something.

Kara pouts when Lena wins her third game in a row.

“You do know I’m nationally ranked, right?”

“What? Lena!”

Lena laughs. She laughs even more when Kara throws a pillow at her.

When they finish playing, Kara getting surprisingly good in such a short amount of time, Lena can basically see the sadness slipping back into Kara’s frame. “How about a movie?” she suggests.

Kara shakes her head. “Can we…I have some photos and-“

Lena understands what she’s trying to ask instantly. “Of course.”

Kara’s just standing up, Lena standing up to follow her, when the door clicks open. She assumes it’s Eliza or Jeremiah but a young redhead steps into the living room instead.

Lena recognises her instantly.

“Alex!” 

Kara’s past her in a flash, Alex meeting her halfway. Kara throws her arms around Alex, Alex stumbling under the weight. “Easy there, Kar.”

Kara pulls back, clear tears in her eyes as she looks at her sister. “What are you doing here?”

Alex leans up, kisses her sisters forehead before she wipes at her tears. “I wasn’t going to miss today,” she says quietly. “I tried to make it back last night but I had to work.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to disappoint you if I couldn’t make it.”

Kara wraps her arms around Alex again. “Thank you for coming.”

Lena feels like she’s intruding, watching them, suddenly feels like she shouldn’t be here, especially now that Alex is. But she doesn’t say anything, just watches, glad that Kara has someone like Alex in her life.

Alex looks over Kara’s shoulder. “You must be Lena.”

Lena startles, locks eyes with Alex. Kara untangles herself from her sister, turns to Lena.

“Alex, this is Lena,” Kara says quietly. “Lena, this is my sister, Alex.”

Alex holds out her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Luthor, I’ve heard so much about you.”

The name surprises Lena, slipping from Alex’s mouth like that. But it’s more the  _ way  _ Alex says it. Lena’s not sure she’s ever heard her last name said like that, not directed at her. There’s no hatred in it, no distaste, no malice. Lena hates her last name a little bit less when it’s said like that.

Lena holds out her own hand, takes Alex’s with a smile. “Likewise.”

“Alex,” Kara hisses quietly as she elbows her sisters side. Lena’s not sure what it’s about but Alex shoots her an apologetic look. 

Alex turns back to Kara, her voice lowering, heavier this time. “Are you okay?”

Kara nods before her head drops. “We were about to look at some photos. Can you join us?”

Alex wraps an arm around Kara’s shoulder. “Of course.”

Kara vanishes upstairs for a moment to get the photos. Lena falls awkward, standing with Alex. Talking to Kara is easy, talking to her big sister, not so much.

“Thank you,” Alex says, Lena inexplicably feeling like crying as Alex looks at her. She looks proud and thankful. Lena wishes her own older sibling would look at her like that. “I’m glad Kara had someone here with her this morning when I couldn’t be, you’re a good friend.”

Lena ducks her head, embarrassed. “Of course, anything for Kara.” With the confession, her cheeks go even redder.

Alex smiles. “I knew I liked you.”

Lena is luckily saved from responding by Kara’s reappearance. She has a photo album in her hand, fresh tears in her eyes as she retakes her seat on her couch. Lena takes her side back again and Alex takes Kara’s other side, nestles into Kara’s side as they look through photos of Kara’s family.

Kara tells stories, tears in her eyes but a small smile on here face, as they flip through the album, ones no doubt Alex has heard before, but Lena listens and loves every new bit of information Kara shares with her.

Kara falls quiet when they reach the end of the album, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Alex hugs her close, and Lena is surprised when a hand falls atop hers. Lena threads her fingers through Kara’s, just wants to be there for Kara in any way she can be.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Alex asks after a while. Lena thought Kara may have fallen asleep she’d been so quiet, but she nods against Alex.

Alex manoeuvres her way out of Kara’s hold to set up the TV.

“Will you stay?” Kara asks, turning to Lena, like she somehow knows Lena was just about to excuse herself, give Alex and Kara some alone time together.

Lena smiles. “Of course.”

Kara’s lips tug up into a small smile, just for a moment, before it vanishes again. “Thank you.”

Alex settles back into Kara’s side, Kara’s hand never leaving Lena’s the whole time. The movie choice is not something she’d expected once Kara had explained to her what movie they were going to watch, but Lena finds herself thoroughly enjoying The Mummy. She’s excited, at the end, when Kara tells her there’s a sequel (and the two more after that that aren’t entirely worth watching).

“I should go,” Lena says as Alex stands up to put the second movie on. As much as she wants to watch it, wants to keep her hand in Kara’s, she really should give the sisters some alone time.

Kara looks sad, but it’s a different sadness that’s clouded her face all day. She nods. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

“It was nice to meet you,” Lena says as she makes her way across the room.

Alex nods her head with a smile. “You too.”

Once they get to the door, Lena’s not sure again what to say. She doesn’t have much experience in situations like this, she doesn’t have much experience with friends full stop.

“Thank you, for coming over today, I’m not sure I could’ve handled being alone this morning.” Kara looks less sad now, some of the brightness returning to her eyes. It’s only a little, but it’s there.

“Anytime,” Lena smiles.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to spend some time with Alex while she’s here, but can I see you on Thursday? We could…I dunno, go out for ice cream or something? Some place that’s not the café, so I can say thank you, properly, for today.”

“You don’t need to thank me, but that sounds great.”

Before Lena realises what’s happened, Kara has her in a hug. She really is quite fast. Lena wraps her arms around Kara’s back as Kara holds her close. “I’m so glad I met you,” Kara mumbles into her shoulder.

Lena sighs into the embrace. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer to the end now! Watch out, things happen next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one of the first scenes that I thought of when I had the idea for this fic so I'm glad I finally got to write it and share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it.

The wedding is looming closer, and as much as Lena has tried to avoid the idea, it’s hard to as more and more decorations fill her house, preparing for the event that’s just a few short days away. It’s Wednesday, which means she only has three more days until she gets married on Saturday, three more days of her life here until everything changes.

She didn’t even  _ have _ a life here a couple of weeks ago, and now she’d give anything to keep it.

“Don’t look so glum, Lena. Next week, you’re going to have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Lena startles, looking to find her mother beside her. Lillian never ventures into the garden if she doesn’t have to, she’s probably here to supervise the arch that Lena’s watching them put up in the garden. It makes her sick that she’s going to have to stand under it with Mike. Why do they need to publicise this? Why can’t she just sign the damn papers and be done with it?

Lena thinks about Lillian’s words. Everything she’s ever wanted? It’s true, since she got offered it, since she saw it’s potential, everything she could do with it, she’s wanted Luthor Corp.

But now, she wants something else too.

The one highlight of her day is the selfie she receives from Kara. Kara’s grinning at the camera, hair a wet mess as it hangs around her face, the beach a stunning blue behind her, only bringing out the blue in Kara’s eyes.

Lena saves the photo to the growing pile of selfies Kara has sent her. Lena thinks this is her favourite so far though. She looks happy so much happier than yesterday. Her eyes are bright, freckles dusting her cheeks and with sand sticking to her neck.

She looks beautiful.

**Wish you were here x** , the message says, and Lena kind of wishes she was too, expect for the fact that she wants to let Kara have time with her sister. Lena’s never been much of a beach person, mostly because she hasn’t been here long enough to really enjoy it, but she think she would, with Kara.

Although, she’s not sure she’d survive seeing Kara in a bikini.

**Enjoy your time with your sister, we can go to the beach together next time.**

It’s not until dinner time, that Lillian talks to her again. 

“This is what you want, right?”

“What?”

“This marriage, the company, because you’re certainly not acting like it.”

“You know I don’t want to marry Mike, but I want the company, so I have no choice.”

Lillian looks sad. “Okay, but don’t let Mike or Rhea hear that, we need to secure our position with them, with their company, if you want any success with Luthor Corp. If that’s what’s most important to you then we’re not going to let anyone take it from you.”

Lillian said ‘ _ we’re _ ’, as in she’s going to help Lena keep Luthor Corp.

The more Lena hears that name, the more she wants to change it. She’s stuck being a Luthor, she’s stuck with the world seeing her as someone like her brother and father, but she’s going to work hard to push her company past that, to get people to see the company, and her, as being nothing like them. Maybe her mother isn’t as like them as she thought either.

“I know. And,” she swallows. “And Luthor Corp will be successful, if I have anything to do with it.”

Lillian smiles. “That’s my girl.”

Lena’s not always sure if her mother loves her, but right now, she thinks she might.

\---

Wednesday passes into Thursday and then she finally gets to see Kara again, for the ice cream she’d been promised. She has to wait until Kara finishes her shift that afternoon, but she meets Kara at the café, feelings so much lighter again for having left the house. She hopes this feeling follows her to National City.

“Ice cream and then we can walk along the beach?” Kara asks. Kara’s basically vibrating with excitement and Lena knows it’s because of the ice cream.

Lena gets mint chocolate chip flavoured ice cream, because she’s not going to pass up the opportunity to have it, but Kara gets half chocolate, and half cookies and cream, which she insists is delicious even if Lena is skeptical.

Lena tries to pay, but Kara beats her to it. Lena doesn’t complain when Kara smiles softly at her and Lena remembers why Kara suggested ice cream in the first place.

They slip their shoes off as they hit the sand, leaving them discarded by a bush where Kara insists they’ll be safe until the return. Lena curls her toes into the sand, warm beneath her feet as she grins. The sound of the waves not far from them, the slight breeze coming off the water smelling like salt and Kara’s bright smile fill her.

She catalogues every detail, wants to remember this day forever.

Kara’s hand slips into hers as they walk, talking aimlessly, until Lena’s laugh cuts through one of Kara’s stories about college.

“You’re a mess,” Lena laughs. She doesn’t have any napkins so she just reaches out, brushes the end of Kara’s nose that’s somehow ended up with ice cream on it.

“What if I was saving that for later?” Kara grins, even as her cheeks turn red.

“Then I really would be concerned about your relationship with food.”

Kara sticks out her tongue and Lena laughs again.

Lena doesn’t hesitate to slip her hand back into Kara’s hand as they walk, venturing close to the water so they can get their feet wet.

It’s the perfect day, one Lena wishes could last forever. Kara snaps a selfie of them when they make it back to their shoes, their own beach day photo. The day might not last forever, but now Lena has a photo of it immortalised on her phone after Kara sends it to her too.

This one she saves as well, and then sets it as her phone background too.

And then suddenly it’s Friday. Lena swears the days have been moving faster and faster as her wedding day/birthday approaches but she knows that’s not possible. But regardless of the day, Lena is looking forward to going to visit Kara, like she promised she would before they said goodnight last night, for maybe the last time while she’s in Midvale.

But her plans are derailed completely when Mike and Rhea show up.

Lena didn’t know until it was too late, but Lillian had invited them over for a dress rehearsal for the wedding.

At least Mike doesn’t have his suit with him, so at least it’s just a rehearsal, minus the ‘dress’ part.

But nevertheless, she’s uncomfortable.

They practice walking down the aisle, Mike grinning at her the whole way. Lillian’s arm is wrapped around hers, too tight, like she thinks Lena’s going to run away.

Lena’s considering it.

The only thing that separates this from tomorrow is there’s no marriage certificate to sign yet, the officiant not pronouncing them married but running them through everything else, almost like they’re actors in a play, Mike’s mom and Lillian there too, playing the part. She’d considered inviting Kara to the wedding, just to have someone else on her side, but it’d be cruel to make Kara watch her marry someone else, painful for herself to have Kara standing there, so close yet so far.

She says the words Lillian hands her, words be doesn’t mean at all, words that are just for show. This wedding has to look real, for the sake of her company. She knows she’d win no points with the public if they knew the marriage was arranged, even if they don’t know why it’s been arranged, which is the only reason Lena smiles, the only reason she kisses Mike on the cheek as she’s told they can kiss. 

“Let’s save the real kiss for tomorrow,” Lena says, because one kiss from him is enough.

“And for our wedding night,” Mike says, a wiggle in his eyebrows. Lena’s stomach drops, she can’t think about that right now.

“Are we done?” Lena asks, her smile slipping. “I need to rest before tomorrow.”

Lillian nods, and Lena takes it as permission to leave. She almost just goes to her room to wallow in what tomorrow is going to bring, but at the last moment she changes her mind. She wants to see Kara, since it may be her last chance, she leaves on Sunday for National City and is announced as CEO on Monday.

As she walks, she thinks about what tomorrow will bring, what marrying  _ Mike _ will bring. 

Unhappiness, that’s the only thing it’s going to bring. She thinks about his smile, his stupid jokes, just everything that’s  _ him,  _ and she shouldn’t be complaining, she has a good life, she’s rich, she’s going to have her own company to run, she’s going to have a husband, which according to half the girls at boarding school, is exactly what she should want. 

But all of it just makes her sad.

Kara pulls her into a tight hug as soon as the door opens. Lena relaxes into Kara’s embrace, lets the weight of her day lessen as she presses her face into Kara shoulder, Kara firm and warm beneath her. It’s grounding, and makes her realise her life isn’t so bad. Her life can’t be that bad if Kara is in it.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to see you again before…” Kara trails off as she pulls away from a hug where they both definitely lingered too long. Lena’s not going to let herself dwell on that, not right now.

Lena smiles sadly as Kara meets her eyes. “I’m sorry I had to cancel today, but I didn’t want to leave without seeing you.”

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Kara asks, leading them both up to her room as she does. She wishes she could see Kara’s face now. Or maybe it’s better this was, because her voice sounds sad and she’s not sure she can handle seeing the face that matches.

Lena swallows, takes a seat on Kara’s bed. “Yeah, we had a rehearsal today, it was awful.”

Kara rests her hand over Lena’s. “I’m sorry. Do you…uhh…want to talk about it?”

“You don’t want to hear about my future husband, do you?”

Kara smiles sheepishly. “Not really, but I want to hear about you, how you’re feeling, what’s going through your mind. This is a sucky thing that some rich old dudes are making you do and if it helps, I’m hear to listen.”

Lena smiles at Kara’s word choice. “It is a sucky thing, and once I’m CEO, as soon as I can, I’m going to make sure to get that rule changed because I don’t want anyone else going through the same thing I am.”

Kara gives her hand a squeeze, Lena feeling herself relaxing even more in her presence.

“And Mike, of all people? He’s just…I hate him, he’s the exact opposite of anyone I’d choose for myself, and that wasn’t Lillian’s intention, that’s just how it worked out. But tomorrow I’m going to have to kiss him at the wedding, for the cameras, and it’s fake, of course, but he made a joke about our wedding night and it just,” she shivers. “I don’t know if he was just joking or expects something tomorrow night or not. And I just, what if he expects  _ more _ when we’re married too and I can’t…”

A look of disgust crosses Kara’s face, the same feeling in the pit of Lena’s stomach as tears spring to her eyes.

“I can’t do that. What if he tries, or says he’ll divorce me if I don’t or…” Tears fall free from Lena’s eyes, Kara there in a second to sweep her into a hug. “I’ve thought about it, giving it all up, the company, everything, just so I can be free of him.” That way, she could be with Kara too.

This time, it’s Kara rubbing her back, whispering quiet words to calm her down.

It had kind of been there, in the back of her mind, but she’d been trying not to think about it, Mike’s expectations once they’re married. He’s going to want to sleep with her, by the look in his eyes earlier, he  _ expects _ it, and Lena won’t, but it means she could lose her company anyway because if he wants to break up and she hasn’t established herself yet, the board will force her out because she’s no longer married.

Kara pulls away once Lena’s tears stop falling, but she stays close. “You shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to, and if he tries anything, I’ll personally have words with him. And by words, I mean I’ll punch him in the face.”

Lena laughs, Kara looks so earnest, Lena doesn’t doubt that she would. In that moment, she considers giving it all up, everything, for Kara. She has no doubt she’d be happy, and she’d do it in a heartbeat, if she didn’t have all those other people she could help to think about too. Just this once, she wishes she could be selfish.

“Can I ask you something?” Kara asks.

“Anything.”

“Why Mike?”

Lena wipes away the last of her tears, hoping she doesn’t look like too much of a mess. “What do you mean?”

“Why him?” Kara asks. “Why, out of everyone, do you have to marry Mike? Is it a money thing? A company thing? What makes him so special?”

Lena smiles sadly. “He was the only one that sad yes. You know my name, my family’s reputation. No one wants to be associated with us. Mike was the only person Lillian could find who was willing to put their own reputation on the line. My family’s money is the only reason he said yes, I assume his mother had a hand in it too.”

“So there’s nothing particular about  _ him _ ?” Kara asks. There’s something swirling through Kara’s eyes, but Lena can’t figure out what it is. “You don’t have to specifically marry  _ him  _ as long as you marry someone?”

Lena laughs. “Well, yeah, technically, but it’s not like I have a line of suitors to choose from. Lillian tried and Mike was the best she could come up with.”

“Does it have to be a guy?”

Lena’s not sure what all this questioning is about. “I…” She thinks through everything she’s read about the company, tries to pinpoint if the wording is gender specific. It’s not. “No, not technically, as far as I’m aware, I just have to marry  _ someone _ .”

Kara’s whole demeanor changes, for a lack of a better word, she looks  _ bright _ . “Marry me?”

Lena thinks her brain may have short circuited, because she’s sure she’s misheard the two words that have just come out of Kara’s mouth. “What?”

“Marry me?”

Yep, that’s what Lena thought she’d said, but the words still don’t make sense.

“Kara-“

Kara cuts her off. “If you just have to marry someone, why not marry  _ me _ ?”

Lena feels hope flare bright in her chest, but she suppresses it, can’t let it take hold, can’t get ahead of herself. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

Kara’s eyes are wide and blue and so imploring. “You’re not asking,  _ I’m _ asking. Marry me, and then you don’t have to marry Mike. Marry me and then,” Kara’s hand falls back over hers. “Then we can have a chance together.” She pauses. “If that’s what you want, or we can just stay friends and get married. The point is, you don’t have to marry  _ him _ . You don’t have to marry him and you have a chance to be happy. You don’t have to marry him and I don’t have to think about you with someone else.”

“Kara…” There are tears in Lena’s eyes again, for a completely different reason this time.

“Please,” Kara says, tears in her own eyes.

“I…this is a big decision, it affects your whole life. I can’t ask you to do something this big, for me.”

Kara wipes away a tear that escapes down her cheek. “I told you, you’re not asking. But this way, you don’t have to marry Mike, you get to marry someone you actually like,  _ and _ you get your company.”

It sounds too good to be true. “But what about you, what do you get out of this?”

Kara smiles. “I get you, if you want me. And if not, then I get to know you’re not miserable, married to a man you could never love.”

God, Lena wants that so much too. But dating someone and getting married are two completely different things.

“But what if…?” Lena’s not sure why she’s fighting this so much, she could so easily give in and just say yes, but this isn’t just about her, it’s about Kara too.

“What if things between us don’t work out?” Kara asks.

She nods. As much as Lena hates the idea, it’s a very real possibility. As much as she hopes they would, if they were together, she doesn’t have much experience with relationships and is sure to mess it up.

“Then we stay married until you’ve secured your company and go back to just being friends. Which, by the way, I don’t think will happen. I don’t know, but,” Kara waves between the two of them. “You feel this, right? What we have, it feels special, it feels  _ real _ .”

“But marriage-“

“Lena,” Kara cuts in. “I want this, I want to do this for you, I want to do this for us. So, marry me? Because I’d really like to date you and if I just need to sign a piece of paper to do that, then I will.”

One last question. “Are you sure?”

Kara smiles. She shifts forward, and Lena’s wondering what she’s doing until gentle hands settle against her cheek. Kara’s cupping her face so softly and Lena thinks she may cry again.

“I’m sure. If you want this, all you have to do is say yes.”

“Yes.”

The word is barely out of her mouth when lips are suddenly on hers, warm and gentle and wonderful. Lena responds immediately, melts into the feel of Kara, melts into soft lips she’s thought about far too often.

She slides her own hand along a sharp jaw, brushes over soft skin before her hand tangles in the fine hair at the back of Kara’s neck.

Lena feels her whole world shift under Kara’s touch.

She’d been right, before their almost first kiss. Now that she’s tasted Kara’s lips, she never wants to stop.

“Really?” Kara mumbles against her lips.

“What?” Lena asks, the word mostly swallowed by Kara’s mouth.

She regrets her question when Kara pulls away. Not far but enough that they’re no longer kissing.

“You’ll marry me?”

“After that kiss,” Lena hums, still slightly dazed as bright blue eyes watch her. “How can I say no?”

Kara grins. “That was a pretty good first kiss, right?”

Lena grins too, she hasn’t felt this light…in a very long time. She leans forward so their lips brush as she speaks. “That was the best first kiss I’ve ever had.” But then she leans away again. “And as much as I’d like to kiss you again, we should probably talk.”

Kara ducks forward anyway, presses a quick kiss to her lips. It takes everything in Lena not to follow said lips as they retreat. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before,” Kara says, “Didn’t think of this solution sooner. We could’ve been kissing this whole time.”

Lena laughs, she’s not sure why she didn’t think of it either, but, to be fair, she never thought of Kara as an option, not for something as big as this. And then, despite her words, she leans forwards herself an kisses Kara again, lets her mouth linger as Kara hums into the kiss.

“We should talk,” Lena says when she manages to pull away this time. “Because you should know what you’re getting into, have all the information before you say yes.”

“Okay.” Kara sobers, sits up straight. She threads her fingers through Lena’s. “Tell me everything.”

“We have to get married tomorrow.”

“Shoot, it’s your birthday,” Kara cuts in. “I haven’t even got you a present!”

Lena laughs. “I don’t need anything.” Lena lifts their joined hands, presses a kiss to the back of Kara’s hand. “This is more than enough.”

Kara smiles, and Lena has to try very  _ very _ hard not to kiss her again.

“All we have to do is sign the papers, we don’t have to have a ceremony or anything. We’ll need to make a public announcement, and live together in National City, or at least appear to, but that’s about it. The board will just need the certificate, but they’ll fight back if they think it’s not real, especially because you’re female, because they want me out. But there’s one board member, Sam, I’ll have to call her and let her know what’s happening but she’ll be on my side, she’d fight for my side. We hadn’t announced my marriage to Mike yet so that’s not an issue, we’ll just announce our own marriage instead.” Lena takes a deep breath. “I know it’s a lot so you have to be sure, I don’t what you to regret your decision.”

“All I’m hearing is that we can be together, all I have to do is sign a piece of paper and live with you, that doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

“It’s not too fast?” Lena asks.

“I mean, for marriage, sure,” Kara says, making Lena laugh. “But we can take things slow, we can stay in separate rooms when we live together, we can go on dates and move at our own pace, we’ll just get to skip a couple of things on the way.”

“This is your life we’re talking about, it’s going to change everything.”

“It’s going to change a few things,” Kara admits. “But I’ll still go back to university in the fall, I’ll still see my sister in National City, I’m still going to apply for the CatCo internship next summer, the only difference is now I’m going to get to be with you too. It’s a little unconventional, sure, but if it means you don’t have to marry Mike, if it means I can be with you, then I’ll do it. As long as it’s what you want too.”

“I do.” Lena grips her hand tighter. “I really  _ really _ do.”

Kara grins. “Then it’s settled, tomorrow we get married. But right now, I’m going to kiss you again, if that’s okay?”

Lena leans forward. “That’s more than okay.”

There are more things she should probably do, like tell her mother the wedding is off, tell Mike and Rhea, let Kara tell her family too, which is the most terrifying part of all this.

But for the moment, she’s going to let herself get lost in the feel of Kara’s lips against hers, she’s going to memorise the feel of Kara’s hands in her hair, going to moan when a tongue slips into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

It doesn’t seem real, it doesn’t seem possible, that Lena gets all this, gets to be with Kara  _ and  _ keep her company, but Kara’s here, kissing her, says she wants to be with her, saying she wants to  _ marry _ her, and Lena’s never been happier.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from Kara's pov!

“I’m getting married.”

“You’re what, now?” Alex almost shouts, Kara has to pull her ear away from the phone because it’s so loud.

Maybe that wasn’t the best way to break the news to her sister.

“I asked Lena to marry me and she said yes.”

“Kara, that’s, that doesn’t even make sense, you’re not even  _ dating _ .”

“We are now,” or at least Kara is pretty sure they are, anyway. “And tomorrow, we’re getting married.”

“Tomorrow!”

Kara’s kind of enjoying messing with her sister like this, but she should also explain. “I told you, she has to get married to become CEO and so I just figured, why is she marrying some guy she doesn’t even like when she could marry a friend instead? And this way, we can be together.”

“Okay, I see your reasoning, but marriage? That’s a big commitment.”

“I know,” Kara says. “But we talked, we’re just going to treat it like we’re dating. We’ll take things slow, the only difference is that we’ll have signed a piece of paper first. Plus, we kissed.” Kara grins. “We kissed a lot, she’s a  _ really _ good kisser.”

Kara can still feel Lena’s touch on her lips, the way Lena had practically melted into her when Kara had kissed her, the way fingers had tangled in her shirt and Lena had moaned as she’d deepened the kiss.

Kara’s not going to be able to get that sound out of her head anytime soon.

She’d never been kissed like that before, never felt  _ so much _ from a kiss, never felt the desire that had coursed through her at Lena’s touch.

Kissing had never felt so  _ right. _

“You sound happy,” Alex says, breaking Kara from her rather pleasant thoughts. She can’t wait to see Lena again, to kiss her and hold her and know that this whole day wasn’t some wonderful dream that she’s about to wake up from. “You’ve thought all of this through?”

“I have, it’s what I want. I really  _ really  _ like her, and if this is my only way to be with her, then I’ll do it.”

It’s a little terrifying, is a rather big commitment, but Kara knew it, the moment Lena walked into their café that first night, she just knew they were meant to be in each other’s lives.

“What if it doesn’t work out?” Alex asks. “You’re so young, and you’ve only known her a couple of weeks.”

“Then we pretend to be together until she has her company and then get divorced. I know it’s a little unconventional but I couldn’t watch her marry someone else, I couldn’t watch her be unhappy if she doesn’t have to be. She was crying tonight, as she talked to me about Mike, and my heart was breaking for her, I had to do something.”

“You need to think of yourself more, you’re always putting others above yourself.”

Kara smiles, it’s not the first time she’s heard this from her sister. It’s probably something she should work on, but it’s not all this proposal is. She’s not just doing this for Lena, she’s doing it for herself too.

“I promise, I want this too. I never thought I even stood a chance, before I found out she liked me too. But by then I already knew she was getting married and I  _ definitely _ had no chance with her. But now, here’s an opportunity, to make her and myself happy, to see if these feelings will lead anywhere, which I really think they will, and I’m not going to let it pass me by.” Maybe she  _ was _ jumping into this a little quick but she has this feeling in her heart that it’s the right thing to do, that she’s meant to be with Lena. “Though, there is one other thing. We’re going to have to live together, Lena and I, to show the marriage is real.”

“ _ Oh _ .”

This is probably the one downside of the marriage, she’s not going to be able to live with her sister when she moves back to National City, which she was really looking forward to.

“Isn’t it too fast to be moving in with Lena?”

“We’ll be roommates, have separate rooms, to begin with anyway.”

It’ll be fun, the two of them, living together. Just two friends who live together, except they won’t just be friends, they’ll get to go on dates and hold hands and snuggle on the couch together and kiss, all the while living one room away from each other.

Kara’s looking forward to all of it, particularly the kissing part.

“Well then, you’ll just have to get a house big enough for Maggie and I too, because I’m sure Luthor can afford something better than anything we can. We can all be roommates.”

Kara knows Alex is mostly just joking, but Kara sort of loves the idea, and she’s going to run it by Lena. All four of them living together would be amazing, at least while she’s still in college.

“Have you told Mom and Dad?”

“Yeah, I did just before I called you. They had similar questions but they came around when I explained. Lena’s gone home to break the news to her mom.”

“Do you want me there?” Alex asks. “When you sign the papers?”

“That’s actually why I was calling,” Kara answers. “We’re not having a big ceremony or anything, but Eliza is calling J’onn to see if he can officiate it so it’ll just be Eliza, Jeremiah and J’onn here but do you think you can make it back too? Lena’s going to wear her dress and I’ve got the suit we found in that charity shop last year so we’re going to wear those so we can get photos together, but I’d really like it if you could be here too. I only plan to get married once and I’d really like my big sister here.”

“I’m not sure but I’ll try, and I’ll tell Maggie too, okay?”

“Yes, thank you!” Kara says. She’s not going to get her hopes up because there’s a real possibility Alex may not be able to make it, but at least she’s going to try.

“And you’re really sure about this?” Alex asks.

“I’m sure about her.”

“Okay.” Kara can hear the smile in Alex’s voice. “I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kara says before she hangs up the phone.

“What did Alex say?” Eliza asks when she ventures back down stairs. She’s lucky her family is so supportive.

“She’s going to try and make it,” Kara answers. It’d feel wrong to get married without her sister here, even if they’re just signing a piece of paper.

When she’d imagined her wedding day when she was younger, it wasn’t going to be like this at all. She wasn’t going to propose less than twenty-four hours before she was getting married. She’d thought she’d have months to plan everything, not having her mom make a phone call for the officiant and that’s it. She thought there’d be flowers to choose, centerpieces to make, cake tasting and catering choices. 

She’s a little sad about the last part, maybe she’ll see if she can convince Lena to go cake tasting with her after the wedding instead.

She also thought she’d have known her fiancée longer than two weeks, but despite how rushed and unconventional this whole thing is, there’s something undeniably  _ right _ about Lena being the one standing next to her, saying their vows together.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Do you love her?”

It’s a fair question but it still wasn’t one she expected from Eliza.

“I...I’m not sure,” Kara answers truthfully. She could just say yes, and that’d end this conversation, and make it even easier to accept that she was marrying someone she’d known for two weeks, but she tells the truth anyway. “Maybe? I know I really like her, Lena’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, but I’m not sure what love really feels like, not this type of love, all I know is I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

“Well, even if it’s a little unusual to be getting married first, at least the two of you get to find out together, if what you have is real. And do you want to know what I think?”

“What?”

“I’ve see the two of you together, seen how you act, seen the way you look at each other. I think what you have is real, and I know you’d regret not giving yourselves the chance to find out.”

\---

“Mother!” Lena calls as soon as she steps through the front door. There’s no point in delaying this, she’s not sure how her mother is going to react and she definitely knows Mike and Rhea won’t be happy (she’s looking forward to telling them though) but she has to tell them all.

“I was wondering if you’d run away for good.”

Lena looks around as Lillian steps into the entrance way. “I thought about it but I have news.”

Lillian raises an eyebrow. “News?”

“I’m not marrying Mike tomorrow.”

“Lena, don’t be ridiculous, we haven’t come all this way for you to change your mind at the last minute. Think about your company. Is this about that girl? Because if it is, then forget about her, she’s going to ruin everything if you don’t.”

Lena smiles. “I’m still getting married, I’m still taking over the company, but Mike Matthews and his family are going to have nothing to do with it.”

“You know Mike was the best I could find for you as a husband, you’re not going to find anyone else willing at such short notice.”

“I’m going to marry Kara instead.”

“The girl from the cafe?” Lillian asks. Lena nods. “She has nothing, and there’s no way you’re going to get her to agree to marry you with your last name. I hope you haven’t already told Mike,” Lillian pulls out her phone. “Or I’ll have to do damage control. I’m sure I can get him to take you back when I remind him how much money is at stake.”

“I’m not marrying Mike,” Lena says. No matter what happens, this is her choice now, and it’s a relief knowing no one has control over her but herself. She may be being forced to get married, but she’s going to do it on her own terms and to some she actually likes, may even love. “I’m marrying Kara. She asked me and I said yes.”

Lillian frowns. “What does she get out of it? Because she’s not getting even a dollar of our money.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “She likes me,” she answers. She tries hard but she can’t contain the smile that spreads across her face. “She asked me to marry her because she wants to be with me, just like I want to be with her.”

“She does?”

“Don’t look so surprised, mother. Do you think I’m unlovable or something?”

“Of course that’s not what I’m thinking,” Lillian says, harsher than Lena was expecting. “You really like her?”

The question throws Lena, the soft tone Lillian’s voice takes, almost like she actually cares about the answer. “I do. Enough that I considered giving up everything for her.”

Lillian nods once. “Okay then, we better call Rhea, tell them the news. You still need to get married though so we can have the wedding here.”

Whatever Lena expected, it wasn’t this response. “I...no, we’re going to get married at her place. They have a small backyard, all we need is a couple of pictures for the press and she said a family friend can be the officiant, everything’s sorted.”

“Okay.” Lillian waves towards the back of the house. “I better cancel all of that then. You’ll still need the dress?”

Lena nods dumbly.

“What time’s the wedding?”

“I...don’t know.” They hadn’t really sorted that particular detail out.

“Well, find out, I’d like to meet Kara’s family before you two get married.”

“You’re coming to the wedding?” Lena asks. This is almost the exact opposite of what she’d expected to happen. 

“Of course, my only daughter is getting married. Now go,” she shoos Lena towards the stairs. “You have some details to figure out and I have some calls to make.”

In a whirlwind of movement and words, Lillian is gone, leaving Lena slightly dumbfounded but feeling, suddenly, like things may actually be okay.

\---

When Lena turns up at the Danvers house the next morning, it’s with a dress bag over her arm and Lillian by her side. This day is going nothing like she’d imagined over the last two weeks and Lena couldn’t be happier.

“Happy birthday!” Kara exclaims as soon at the door opens, Lena getting an armful of her friend? Girlfriend? Fiancée? Lena’s not entirely sure which one to use so her settles on her  _ Kara _ .

“Thank you,” Lena laughs into the hug. After a long moment, Lena reluctantly relinquishes her hold. She clears her throat. “Kara, this is my mother, Lillian Luthor. Mother, this is Kara.”

Kara smiles politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Lillian nods her head. “You too.”

They linger awkwardly for a moment before Eliza turns up at the door and invites them all in. Lena uses their parents greeting each other as a chance to turn to Kara.

“How are you doing?” Lena asks quietly. They’d texted half of the night but it’s good to see her again.

“I’m good,” Kara beams. “You?”

Lena had this irrational fear that she’d turn up here this morning and despite everything telling her the opposite, Kara was going to have changed her mind.

All of that fear has vanished under Kara’s smile.

Lena ducks forward quickly, almost shy, pressing a quick kiss to Kara’s cheeks. None of the parents notice luckily but Kara’s cheeks go red.

It’s utterly adorable and Lena’s known all along that she’s been lucky, lucky to meet Kara, lucky to have somehow managed to become friends with her. And now there’s this, this cute girl in front of her, willing to do something as crazy as marry her just for a chance to date her, just so she doesn’t have to marry another guy.

Lena knows she’s the luckiest person in the world.

“Good to see you again, Luthor.”

Lena lets the voice pull her attention away from Kara to find Alex across the room, a shorter woman at her side who must be Maggie.

Lena smiles, nods her head at Alex as both women make their way towards her and Kara.

“Lena, this is Alex’s girlfriend, Maggie,” Kara says, gesturing between the two. “Maggie, this is Lena.”

Lena takes the offered hand, surprised at the firm grip. “It’s nice to finally meet you after all Kara has told us about you.”

“Likewise.”

“No, seriously,” Maggie continues, a teasing glint in her eye that Lena somehow knows means nothing good. “We’d get a phone call most nights, Kara going on and on and on about how pretty you are and how smart and wonderful and-“

“I think she gets it,” Kara butts in, her cheeks even redder than before. Lena likes Maggie already. “You’re just jealous that I’m getting married before you two are.”

Alex sticks her tongue out at her sister while Maggie rolls her eyes. Lena’s glad they could both make it.

The parents interrupt, sending both her and Kara upstairs to get changed. Kara makes her get changed in a different room, claiming she’s not allowed to see her before the wedding. She decides not to argue even though they’ve both already seen each other.

There’s a knock on her door no long later and Lena is surprised when it’s Lillian. She maybe shouldn’t be, with this different side she’s starting to see of Lillian. Maybe she’s always been like this and Lena has been too busy with her education to notice. 

She’s glad she has the chance now.

“You look beautiful.”

Lena smiles. “Thank you.”

“J’onn is here, the celebrant, we’re ready when you are.”

Lillian leads her downstairs and out into the garden. They’ve set up a few chairs, Eliza, Jeremiah and Maggie already sitting, Alex standing as maid of honour. A much smaller occasion than what would’ve been at her house.

This is much nicer.

There’s an arch in the middle, the same arch from her house. She’s not sure how Lillian did it but she’s glad her mother is here.

And then Lena’s heart stops, literally stops, in her chest when her eyes meet Kara’s across the backyard.

It’s Kara’s smile that catches her attention, bright and wide and uninhibited. It’s absolutely radiant and she’s glad her arm is through Lillian’s to guide her.

As she steps on unsteady legs closer, she takes in the rest of Kara, the suit the Kara bought at a charity shop even though it looks tailored just for her, the heels on her feet, lifting her that little bit taller, the same height as Lena’s so Kara will still have her slight height advantage. Her hair is loose around her face, looking utterly perfect even though they both took less than half an hour to get ready.

And then there’s Kara’s eyes, a blue Lena’s never seen before as she stops in front of Kara, looking at her with such gentle affection that Lena feels her heart crack and rebuild, stronger, in chest.

She’s beautiful and Lena, once again, is struck with how lucky she is.

“You look incredible,” Kara whispers as Lena slips her arm from Lillian’s and into Kara’s.

“So ydo you,” Lena smiles.

“You ready?”

Lena’s not sure she’s ever been this nervous in her life. “Ready,” she says before they both turn to J’onn.

“I’d like to welcome everyone to the wedding of Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor.”

Lena feels giddy as the words leave J’onn’s mouth. She can’t believe this is real. Kara grins over at her and Lena  _ really _ can’t believe this is real.

And maybe she should be listening to what J’onn is saying because then Kara’s eyes are widening and she’s speaking.

“Vows, shoot, I didn’t think about that.”

Damn, neither did she. They’re a part of a wedding, she knows this, even had scripted vows for when she was supposed to be marrying Mike, but she hasn’t planned anything for now.

“I guess, I just want to say,” Kara starts. “That I never expected a person like you to come into my life, or our cafe, not late on a Saturday night with no money for a drink. Before I knew it you’d made your way into my heart and we were friends. And now we’re here, getting married, which I never expected either. But I vow, no matter what, to stick with you for whatever comes our way.”

Lena thinks she may cry.

J’onn looks towards her and then it’s her turn.

“Never in my life, did I imagine this, could I have imagined meeting someone as wonderful as you. You’re the best person I know and I look forward to getting to know you every day in the future.”

Kara squeezes their joined hands.

“Do we have rings?” J’onn asks.

Lena stills, yet another thing she’s forgotten. She’d let Lillian handle everything for her other planned wedding, wanted nothing to do with, I mean, she even let Lillian break up with Mike for her (she did listen into the conversation though and it was wonderful, Rhea was much more upset than Mike had been. Serves her right.) But rings is something basic, as basic as vows and a wedding dress. She only got one of those three right.

“Here,” Lillian says, stepping forward, hand out, two rings nestled in her palm.

Lena shoots her a questioning look, she’s not recycling rings.

“I sent out for them last night, I didn’t think you’d have any.”

“Thank you,” Lena whispers quietly as she takes the rings, at least one of them has thought of everything.

She hands one to Kara who then takes her hand, slips the ring onto her finger. “Think of it as a friendship ring,” Kara says quietly. “A promise, to always be there for each other. We’re not doing this for any other reason than we care for each other, than we make each other happy, regardless of what the state is going to call our relationship.”

It’s then Lena’s turn to take Kara’s hand and she slips the other ring onto her ring finger. “Thank you.” She tangles their fingers together once the ring is in place. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

Kara smiles. “I’m going to be the best  _ wife _ you’ve ever had too,” she jokes.

For a moment Lena forgets where they are, forgets everything but the two of them, just hangs onto Kara’s soft smile and bright eyes, until J’onns voice pulls her back.

“I now pronounce you wife and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

Lena laughs, she actually laughs as she leans forward, meeting Kara in a kiss that’s more just a messy press of lips, both smiling too hard to kiss properly.

“We did it,” Kara laughs. “You’re married.  _ We’re  _ married.” Kara wraps her arms around her, picks Lena up in an unexpected hug, spins them. She knows Kara is strong, but she can feel it, through the suit, as Kara turns.

“Kara,” Lena laughs, gripping Kara’s shoulders tightly as they spin. “Put me down.”

Kara does, she puts her down much more gently than she picked her up. She reaches out, brushes a loose curl behind Lena’s ear. “You’re my wife,” Kara says quietly, voice filled with awe, slightly breathless from the spin.

Lena leans into the touch, voice soft too. “And you’re mine.”

“Tonight, can I take you out somewhere, for dinner?” Kara questions. “For our first date?”

Lena smiles. “I’d like that.”

Who cares that their first date will be after they’re married.

They sign the papers, make it  _ official  _ official and then it’s done, there’s nothing left to do but send a copy to the lawyers at Luthor Corp (Lillian does that) and make an announcement to the press (it’s less of an announce and more Kara posting a couple of photos of them from the ceremony to her instagram account about how she married her girlfriend in a private ceremony) and that’s all. There’s no big party or anything, no wedding reception, it’s just over, done, the only plans for the rest of her day being her first date with Kara, and maybe a little celebration with their families.

“Happy birthday,” Alex says, handing Lena a glass of an amber coloured liquid. It burns as it hits her throat but Lena kind of likes it.

“Thank you.”

“I don’t need to tell you, that if you hurt my sister, you’ll answer to me?”

Lena nods. “I assumed as much, and I have no intention of hurting her.”

Alex nods in return, a smile spreading small across her face. “Good.”

Lena startles when arms wrap around her waist.

“Come on, I want to dance with my girlfriend on our wedding day,” Kara says, chin coming to rest on Lena’s shoulder.

Lena spins around in her embrace. “You know that doesn’t make sense, right?”

Kara pulls her close, starts swaying despite the lack of music. “Our relationship is going to be a little confusing, isn’t it?”

“Maybe, but at least we’re in it together?”

“Together,” Kara smiles, leaning down slightly to press their foreheads together. “I like the sound of that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go, thanks for sticking with me so far.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're finally there! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this fic and those who are just joining now that it's over. I had a lot of fun writing this fic and then seeing your theories about how they might end up together, which we all knew they would because supercorp is endgame.
> 
> I love you all and I hope you enjoy this last chapter, which I think ties up the story quite nicely <3

Lena’s late, which is incredibly annoying because she’s been looking forward to this night all week, but the conference call went on longer than expected and then she had to deal with a problem in the lab plus she had to make a stop on the way here too. 

Lena knocks on the door, but doesn’t wait for an answer as she steps through the door.

Shouts of Lena’s name and greetings are called out as she places her bag by the door and slips out of her coat and shoes. Lena smiles at her friends gathered around the coffee table, all taking up various spaces on the couches.

She feels herself start to finally relax after her long day, especially when, amongst everyone, she spots Kara smiling at her.

“I bought alcohol!” Lena announces as she crosses the room, Alex up and intercepting it from her hands before she can properly react.

“You’re my favourite.”

“Save some for me,” Lena laughs, though she doesn’t care too much, right now, her eyes are on Kara. 

Kara shuffles over and pats the seat beside her when Lena reaches her. “I saved you a seat.”

“You’re  _ my  _ favourite,” Kara says, her fingers tangling in Lena’s shirt to pull her down. 

Lena easily goes with the movement, bends down and sighs as soft lips press against hers. It’s been over two years now but every kiss feels just as good as the first one.

Something hits her shoulder, unfortunately disrupting their kiss. She must look upset because Kara winks, a whispered promise of “later.”

“Stop making out, we can start playing now that you’re here.”

Lena looks up and realises the thing that hit her arm was Alex, who’s now holding out a drink for her which she gratefully accepts.

“We’re playing The Game of Life?” Lena asks as she takes the seat beside Kara, settles into her side. Kara turns and presses a kiss to her shoulder, Lena almost melting at the soft gesture. Kara always does little things like that, little touches, a hand to her lower back, the brushing of fingers, quick kisses or a warm hand on her knee.

Lena loves every touch, and she loves her wife even more.

“My house, my rules,” Winn says, pulling Lena back to the present. The fact that their games night is at Winn’s is why Lena brought alcohol in the first place because she assumed Winn wouldn’t have any. “And it’s the only way I’m ever going to be a millionaire so leave me alone.”

“You always lose this game, Lena always wins,” James points out, earning a glare from Winn. Although ‘glare’ is pushing it, she’s not sure Winn  _ can  _ glare.

It’s true, for some reason, Lena always,  _ always _ , wins this game, and it’s highly entertaining.

Winn’s ‘glare’ turns to a pout as he looks to Lena. “It’s not fair, you’re already a millionaire.”

Lena decides not to point out that she’s actually a billionaire. 

And then just like every other time they’ve played this game, Lena has lucky spin after lucky spin, picks good cards, earning her way more money than anyone else and eventually leading to her winning the game. To everyone’s surprise, Winn comes second and Kara actually comes last.

Lena  _ would _ feel bad because now Kara’s the one that’s pouting, her lip stuck out, a slump to her shoulders, but it’s too cute, and so she does the only thing she can do and kisses Kara. She instantly feels the way Kara’s lips turn up under her own.

Winn announces pizza for dinner and then the pout is definitely gone from Kara’s face.

Dinner leads into another game, charades this time. James and Winn never have a hope when they play charades, but it’s always entertaining watching them try. Between Alex and Maggie, and Kara and Lena, it’s anyone’s game, and tonight, she and Kara win by two points, this time Alex getting upset by the loss. 

They’re all too competitive for their own good.

Which is why when Winn suggests they end the night with a movie instead, they all agree.

Half way through the movie, Lena’s long day is beginning to catch up with her, tiredness itching behind her eyes as she tries to focus on the screen in front of them.

When she lets her head fall to Kara’s shoulder, she knows she’s a goner. 

An arm wraps around her and Lena settles further into Kara’s side and then she decides not to fight the sleep, decides to let it take her, decides to rest for a little while while her friends watch the rest of the movie.

“Lena?” She hears her name and then a kiss pressed to the side of her head. “Lena, sweetie, wake up.”

When she opens her eyes, she finds her friends around the room, in various stages of stretching and standing. It looks like she’s not the only one who fell asleep as Alex is gently rousing Maggie too.

“Sorry,” Lena says as she stretches herself, sitting up properly. “I was more tired than I thought.”

“I’m never going to complain about you using me as a pillow.” Kara says. Lena remembers her first movie night at Kara’s, where the same thing had happened, she’d used Kara as a pillow and woke up comfy and warm. It’s crazy that it’s been two years since then.

“You are really comfy so I guess it’s your fault I feel asleep.”

Kara laughs. “Can we go home so we can cuddle in bed instead?”

“I didn’t need to hear that,” Alex mutters.

They all say their goodbyes, Lena making sure she has her bag with her.

“We still on for lunch tomorrow?” Maggie asks at the door.

Kara gasps, hand to her chest. “You’re having lunch without me?”

Lena laughs. “You say that like we’ve never done that before, and like you two aren’t having lunch together tomorrow too,” she says, pointing between Kara and her sister.

One unexpected thing from her relationship with Kara that Lena gained, is a friendship with Maggie, the two had become close when the four of them lived together last year.

“And we need a chance to talk shit about the both of you,” Maggie says, grinning conspiratorially at Lena.

Alex rolls her eyes. “You mean talk about how much you both love us?”

“You wish,” Maggie laughs, following it up with a quick kiss to Alex’s cheek.

They  _ do _ do that sometimes, usually when they’ve been drinking, talk about how amazing their wives are, but otherwise they are just genuinely good friends, good enough that Lena was Maggie’s maid of honour last year.

She hugs Alex and Maggie, then James and Winn too, Alex inviting them all over to her place for dinner next week. Lena thinks she may have just said that because she doesn’t want to risk another night where there’s not a lot of alcohol.

She leaves the apartment with Kara’s hand in hers and feeling good, even after a very long day.

By the time they get back to their apartment, Lena’s much more awake than she had been. Kara tries to lead them straight to their bedroom by their still tangled hands, but Lena tugs her to a stop.

“Wait.” 

Kara turns questioning in her direction.

“Are you okay?”

Lena smiles. “I’m fine.” Her bag is still tucked under her arm, a particular box burning a metaphorical hole in the bag. She’d picked it up today, intending to give it to Kara some other time, when she’s had more time to plan the perfect time and place to give it to her, the perfect words to say. But she’s also been thinking about this for a long time, and suddenly it feels like the right time to give it to her now, not wanting to wait another moment. “I just have something for you.”

Kara looks intrigued. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Lena leads them over to the couch and they sit down together. Lena drops her bag on the ground, leaves it there for a moment, there’s more she wants to say first. “Do you remember our first date?”

Kara doesn’t seem thrown by the sudden change in topic as she smiles. “Our wedding night, of course I do. You were so nervous you tripped, but luckily I caught you.”

“I still maintain that the ground was uneven.” And maybe she  _ was _ a little distracted because Kara’s thumb had just started rubbing circles on her hand and it had felt  _ so good _ .

“I think you did it so I  _ would  _ catch you.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “You wish.”

“I do remember our first date,” Kara prompts, and Lena realises she’s gotten a little distracted. 

“I was just thinking about it earlier.” More that whole day really, the day that changed everything. Actually, the day that changed everything was the day she chose to take a walk and ended up in Danvers Café, and came face to face with the most beautiful girl she’d ever seen, the girl who would change her life in so many ways. “That was my first proper date. How lucky am I that the first date I go on, I end up marrying my date?”

“Technically we got married  _ before  _ the date.”

Lena laughs. “Details.”

The next day, Kara had helped her pack up what little belongings she’d had, to take to National City with her, trading kisses while they packed, snuggling on Lena’s bed when they were done. Lena had moved to National City without Kara that afternoon, and they’d texted and called each other every day while Kara was still working at the café for the summer and Lena was shaking things up at L-Corp.

And then Kara had joined her, moved into the apartment she’d bought in the city. Separate rooms at the beginning, more like roommates than a married couple, roommates who like to make out anyway.

A week later, Lena had gained two more roommates, Alex and Maggie moving in to the big apartment, much nicer and more spacious than the one they had been living in. Lena had felt bad that she was taking Kara away from spending time with her sister, and Kara had joked about them living together, but it was the perfect solution.

So not only had Lena gained a wife, but thanks to Kara, she’s gained two (more if you count James and Winn too) friends.

Lena looks down at their joined hands as Kara starts playing with her fingers, watches the way their fingers fit together so perfectly.

She loves Kara, so much, something she’d figured out not long after they’d started dating. She didn’t tell Kara for a while, scared, but then Kara had said the words to her and all of Lena’s feelings had come spilling out too. At the beginning, she hadn’t known what it had felt like to be in love, but it hadn’t taken her long to work out that what she was feeling for Kara was love.

Lena sobers a little. “You don’t regret it, do you, getting married?”

Kara sobers instantly too. “Never.” She looks worried. “What’s this about, are you okay?”

She feels a smile slip back over her face. “I’m perfect.” She lifts their joined hands and presses a kiss to Kara’s. “I love you.”

Kara softens. “And you know I love you too.”

Lena reaches down, pulls the box out of her bag. It’s a jewelry box, too big to be a ring, too small to be a necklace. She can tell Kara’s figuring that out too.

“Lena, you shouldn’t have bought me anything. Knowing you, whatever’s in that box, is going to be ridiculously expensive.”

“Can’t I treat my wife?” Lena counters. 

“You can, but to things like a cooked dinner or a massage after a long day, or, like a bath together or something. Not expensive jewelry.”

Kara got the jewelry part right at least. “It’s not expensive, I promise. And how about Friday night, I’ll leave early, we can have a date night, I’ll cook you dinner and I’ll definitely have a bath with you.”

Kara smiles. “I wasn’t angling for anything, or saying you don’t spend enough time with me or anything, I was just saying you don’t have to buy me expensive things, I didn’t marry you for your money, I married you for  _ you.” _

She does feel bad sometimes, about how much time her job takes up, but Kara seems to understand, she’d been busy with college too, which had actually been easier to see each other because Kara would sit in her office and study while Lena was working, but now, with Lena’s job and Kara’s internship at CatCo, they don’t get to see as much of each other as she’d like. “I know, but I miss you, and I really would like to spend some more time with you, and a proper date night with you sounds wonderful.”

Kara leans forward, presses a quick kiss to her lips. “Okay then, it’s a date.” She kisses Lena again, this time her lips lingering, and Lena almost forgets she had something to say, almost forgets there’s something she wants to do.

“Do you remember our first kiss?” Lena asks, forcing herself to pull away and not be reeled back in by soft, pink lips. 

Blue eyes meet hers, and Lena almost forgets her entire plan and just kisses Kara again, everything else can wait, but then no it can’t, because she really wants Kara to know what she has to say, wants her to know how she really feels.

“What’s with the walk down memory lane?” Kara laughs.

“Humour me?”

“I do, it was the day I asked you to marry me, the day I realised I couldn’t watch you marry someone else, I couldn’t watch you be unhappy. It was the day I realised I’d do anything for the chance to be with you, even if it meant doing something crazy like marrying someone I’d known for two weeks.”

Lena still can’t believe that Kara had been willing to do that, for her. She’d never had anyone in her life that cared about her that much, not until Kara. “You gave me so much that day, I wouldn’t be where I am, my company wouldn’t be where it is, I wouldn’t be this happy, without you.”

“I’m sure your company would be doing just as well without me around.”

Lena shakes her head. “No. You inspire me, you’ve helped me so much, you’ve given me ideas and you’ve pushed me to be better and you’ve helped me in so many ways, in more than you know.”

Kara gives their joined hands a squeeze. “I’m not going to ask what brought all this on but you inspire me too, you make me feel like I can do anything with you by my side and I’m glad that we’re in this together, there’s no one else I’d rather have by my side.”

Lena kisses her again, only because she has to channel her emotions somewhere or else she’ll cry.

“I’ve bought you this,” Lena says, running her finger over the top of the box in her hand, drawing Kara’s attention to it. “Because there’s something I want you to know. Something you probably already know, but you deserve to hear me say it, you deserve this moment in our unconventional relationship.”

Kara looks confused, a slight crinkle appearing between her eyebrows. It’s stupidly adorable.

“You once told me the story of how your father gave your mother a bracelet when he proposed to her.”

Kara smiles. “Because the ring was hidden at home, he’d planned the perfect romantic dinner for a few weeks later, on their anniversary, but they were out on a date, stargazing, and he twisted a few strands from the frayed picnic blanket into a bracelet because it’s the first thing he could think of after looking at her and realising he didn’t want to spend another moment not engaged to her.”

Lena loves that story, how, even after he gave her the ring, she still wore the makeshift bracelet around her wrist. “It’s a bit more romantic than us getting engaged.”

“Hey, I thought it was pretty romantic of me asking you to marry me so we could be together?”

“Okay, when you put it like that. But also we were forced into that decision, we had no choice if we wanted to be together. I’m grateful every day that you asked me to marry you, that you cared enough for me, even way back then, to do something that was so big, life changing even.”

Kara smiles. “You definitely changed my life.”

“Mine too. Which is what this is for.” Lena opens the box, reveals a silver bracelet nestled inside.

“Are you proposing to me?” Kara jokes. “Because you do know we’re already married, right?”

That’s exactly what she’s doing. “I am.”

“But-“

“I thought about buying you a ring, proposing to you how most people do, but we both already have rings.” Lena soothes her fingers over the ring on Kara’s finger, warm to the touch. Kara hasn’t taken hers off since the wedding and neither has Lena. “And then I remembered the story of your parents and how they got engaged, and I saw this bracelet and thought it was perfect.”

Kara smiles. “Not that I don’t appreciate this, but isn’t the purpose of proposing to someone to get married?”

“It is. Usually. But when do we follow normal relationship guidelines? Our first date was after we were married, we were basically roommates who were dating at the beginning when we were already married too. I’ve taken things away from you by our odd relationship timeline, and I wanted to give something back to you, I wanted to give you the proposal you deserve. I got this bracelet today and suddenly I didn’t want to wait any longer, we walked in here this evening and I just wanted to tell you, I wanted you to know.”

Kara’s eyes are soft with affection. “I know how much you love me.”

“I know you do, I love you so so  _ so _ much, more than I even knew I was capable of. But it’s more than that. I want to tell you that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to tell you that you make me so happy, I want to ask you if you want to spend the rest of your life with me. I’m secure in my position at L-Corp now, if you wanted, we could stop this, but I want you to know that I don’t  _ want _ to stop this. I want you, this, us, forever. I want to grow old with you and get a dog with you, have a family with you. But I want you to have that choice too, I want to ask you if that’s what you want, I want you to know that I love you more than anything. You’re so funny and smart and kind and beautiful, you’re the best thing in my life.” There are tears in her eyes now. “I love you with everything that I am and I know we’re a little young to be getting married, I mean, I’m only twenty three.” That earns an equally wet laugh from Kara. “But I want to spend every day of the rest of our lives, together. So, Kara Zor-El Danvers, will you marry me?”

She’s pretty sure her actions and words over the last two years means Kara knows all of this, but she wants there to be no doubt in Kara’s mind that she’s in this because she’s in love, not because of her company. That may have been how this started, a way to get her company, the only reason a marriage proposal was offered so early, but she said yes for Kara, she said yes because she wanted them both to have a chance at happiness, and Lena knew that her best chance at happiness was with Kara.

“I know I haven’t legally changed my name but it’s Kara Zor-El Danvers-Luthor.”

Lena presses her lips together in a smile. “Is that what you focus on out of everything I said?”

Kara lifts her free hand, cups Lena’s cheek. Lena leans into the now familiar touch. “No.” She swallows and Lena can tell she’s trying not to cry. “I kind of figured this was a lifetime deal,” Kara says, gesturing with their joined hands between them. “I knew, almost from the beginning, that you’re it for me. We may have gotten married earlier than I expected, but I’d do it all again, for you. You make my life better, just by being in it, one smile from you and my day’s brighter, one touch from you, one kiss, and I feel more than I ever thought capable. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, I can’t imagine my life without being married you, without being able to call you my wife. So yes,” She smiles, tears in her eyes. “I’ll marry you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you too.”

Lena laughs, the sound half choked by tears. She holds up their joined hands, the one with Kara’s ring, and her other hand. “Well, would you look at that, we’re already married, that was fast.”

“I didn’t think it was possible to beat our twenty-four hour turnaround time like last time, but here we are.”

Lena takes the bracelet out of the box, Kara holding out her arm for Lena to slip it on. “These,” Lena says, pointing to her wedding ring. “Are a sign of us being married. But this,” she says, running her fingers over the cool metal of the bracelet, over Kara’s skin. “Is a sign of our love.”

Kara smiles. “You, Mrs Luthor-Danvers, are a sap.” She didn’t legally change her name either, but she definitely likes her name being attached to Kara’s. Maybe she should. “But if I have this, you need something too.” Before Lena can react, Kara is up and off the couch and Lena watches her disappear into their bedroom. She hears some noises she can’t quite place then less than a minute later, she’s back. Kara takes Lena’s hand, wraps a piece of plaited material around her wrist. It’s a bracelet, Lena realises. “I have a bracelet, and now you have one too, to show how much I love you, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you too.”

Kara’s eyes are full of affection, her smile full of warmth, and Lena’s heart skips in her chest. She really is the luckiest woman in the world. “Where did you even get this?”

“It was in the box of junk I couldn’t bring myself to throw out from Midvale. I made this at high school, a friendship bracelet, but I had no one to give it to and Alex and I weren’t exactly friendly at the beginning. I’d almost forgotten I had it until now.” She smiles. “It feels right, to give it to you.”

“It’s perfect.” Lena runs her fingers over the material. “I love it. And I love you.”

Kara tilts forward, their foreheads falling to rest together. “I love you too.”

Lena lets her lips find Kara’s, lets the fire from their touch fill her. She feels like home. “I think I was promised cuddles in bed,” Lena says, her lips brushing Kara’s lips, not ready to part just yet as she speaks.

Lena feels Kara grin against her mouth. “Can we kiss too?”

“Like you have to ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Tumblr: spaceman-earthgirl


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